10 Downing Street: Cosmetics

Lord Hanningfield: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How much 10 Downing Street spent on cosmetics in each of the past five years.

Lord Bassam of Brighton: Following a search of records, the following information was identified with respect to expenditure on cosmetics.
	
		Expenditure on cosmetics for media appearances
		
			 Year  
			 1997–1998 no records 
			 1998–1999 no records 
			 1999–2000 £43.80 
			 2000–01 £340.02 
			 2001–02 nil 
			 2002–03 £324.47 
			 2003–04 £323.93 
			 2004–05 £18.00 
		
	
	
		Expenditure on make-up artists for media appearances
		
			  £ 
			 2003–04 491.20 
			 2004–05 300.00

10 Downing Street: Entertainment Budget

Lord Hanningfield: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What was the entertainment budget of No. 10 Downing Street for each of the past five years.

Lord Bassam of Brighton: I refer the noble Lord to the Answer given by my right honourable friend the Prime Minister to the honourable Member for Yeovil (David Laws) on 28 April 2004, Official Report, col. 1087W.
	For 2003–04 and 2004–05, the total cost of official entertainment by the Prime Minister at 10 Downing Street and Chequers was £99,111 and £160,278 respectively.
	These events consist of official dinners and events for foreign leaders and other dignitaries, receptions for business leaders, community and charity representatives and sportsmen and women. In the past few years, an increased programme of events at Downing Street has been introduced in order to give access to as many people as possible, including children's tea parties and regular receptions for a wide cross-section of the community. In addition, in 2004–05, the Prime Minister hosted a reception for British Olympic and Paralympic athletes at an external venue on their return from the Athens Olympic Games.

Abortion

Baroness Masham of Ilton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the partial-birth abortion procedure is used in Great Britain; and
	Whether it would be lawful to use the partial-birth abortion procedure in Great Britain if the provisions of the Abortion Act 1967, as amended, are complied with.

Lord Warner: The Abortion Act 1967, as amended, does not specify the methods of abortion which can or cannot be used. The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists' evidence-based clinical guideline The Care of Women Requesting Induced Abortion (2004) sets out the recommended methods of abortion which practitioners are expected to follow.
	Methods of termination are monitored through the forms sent to the Chief Medical Officer by practitioners for every termination of pregnancy they perform. We are not aware of the procedure referred to as "partial-birth abortion" being used in Great Britain.

Animal Feed: Waste Food

Lord Vinson: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What plans they have to encourage the recycling of food waste as animal feed.

Lord Bach: Feeding of catering waste or former foodstuffs of animal origin no longer intended for human consumption to livestock is prohibited under: the Animal By-Products Regulation (EC) No. 177412002 as a measure to protect animal health.
	The Government are working at EC level to ensure that the controls on waste food are proportionate and reflect the risk to animal health and we are supporting a Commission proposal to exclude products containing rennet or melted fat, milk or eggs, which are incorporated but do not form the product's main ingredient, and milk and milk based products, biscuits, bakery waste, pasta, chocolate, and sweets from the controls of the Animal By-Products Regulation. In the interim these products may continue to be fed to livestock provided adequate measures are in place to ensure against cross contamination by meat and other products of animal origin.
	Material such as vegetables, pastry or crisps may be fed to livestock, provided it originates from premises where no meat or most other products of animal origin are handled and may not come from any catering facility or restaurant.

Armenia: Turkish Economic Blockade

Lord Hylton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	When they last made representations to the government of Turkey about the economic blockade of Armenia; what was the outcome of that discussion; and when they will next raise the issue.

Lord Triesman: The issue was discussed by Sir Brian Fall, the UK Special Representative for the South Caucasus, during his visit to Ankara in April. The Turkish Government explained that the closed border is linked to the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh. We hope that negotiations to resolve the conflict under the auspices of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) is active in conflict prevention, crisis management, human rights, democracy OSCE Minsk Group will be successful.
	The UK Government do not take the view that the closed border with Turkey constitutes an economic blockade on Armenia. There are regular direct flights between Armenia and Istanbul and bilateral trade between the two countries.

Banks: Debt Recovery

Baroness Byford: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they have plans to limit by statute the power of banks to satisfy debts owed to them out of state benefits which now have to be paid into a bank account.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: We have no plans to do so.

BBC

Lord Hanningfield: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What discussions (a) the Prime Minister, and (b) the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport have held with (i) Mr Mark Thompson, Director-General of the BBC, and (ii) the Board of Governors of the BBC, concerning reform of the BBC.

Lord Davies of Oldham: The Government have meetings and discussions with a wide range of organisations and individuals. All meetings are conducted in accordance with the Ministerial Code and the Civil Service Management Code.

Belfast: Roadside Tree Planting

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many roadside trees were planted in Belfast in the 10 years up to the end of 2003; how many have survived to date; and whether they plan to strengthen sapling protection procedures.

Baroness Farrington of Ribbleton: The Chief Executive of Roads Service (Dr Malcolm McKibbin) has written to the noble Lord.
	Letter from Dr Malcolm McKibbin to Lord Laird dated 21 July 2005. 
	You recently asked Her Majesty's Government a Parliamentary Question about how many roadside trees were planted in Belfast in the 10 years up to the end of 2003; how many have survived to date; and whether they plan to strengthen sapling protection procedures. I have been asked to reply as these issues fall within my responsibility as Chief Executive of Roads Service.
	I can advise that the number of trees planted in the public footways in the Belfast area for the 10 years up to the end of 2003 was approximately 2,500. The annual survival rate is 95 per cent with the 5 per cent failure rate attributable to instances of disease, road traffic accidents and vandalism. We replace these trees as soon as is practicable and attempt to recover the full replacement costs, where possible.
	I should also explain that the trees planted in the public footways are termed "Extra Heavy Standards". These trees are about 10 years old, and when planted are protected with a galvanised tree guard. There are currently no plans to enhance this level of protection. Where external funding is available, (for example Environmental Improvement Schemes funded by the Department for Social Development), semi-mature trees are planted. However, you will appreciate that the additional costs for these semi-mature trees could not be funded from our annual street planting programme.
	I hope this information is helpful.

Burma

Lord Steel of Aikwood: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What representations they have made following the refusal of the Burmese Government to issue a visa to the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General.

Lord Triesman: We regularly urge the regime to allow the UN Secretary-General's special representative, Tan Sri Razali, unrestricted access to Burma, so that he can continue his positive work there—most recently when the EU Troika, including the United Kingdom, met the Burmese Foreign Minister in Kyoto on 6 May. We firmly support the mandate of Tan Sri Razali and remain in close and frequent contact with him and his staff
	We also urge the regime to allow access to Professor Pinheiro, the special rapporteur of the UN Commission on Human Rights.
	We will continue to press these issues.

Burma: National League for Democracy

Lord Steel of Aikwood: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How often and how recently the United Kingdom Ambassador in Burma has visited the headquarters of the National League for Democracy.

Lord Triesman: Our Ambassador in Rangoon and other members of the British Embassy visit the headquarters of the National League for Democracy on a regular basis. Our Ambassador visited most recently on 27 May 2005.

Carrickfergus Maritime Area

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What responsibility the Department of Social Development has to ensure that the sewerage infrastructure in the Maritime Area of Carrickfergus meets adoption standards.

Baroness Farrington of Ribbleton: The Department for Social Development owns a sewage pumping station at Swift's Quay, Carrickfergus, which was vested as part of the Maritime Area Development Scheme in 1996. As owner of the pumping station, the department is responsible for bringing it up to adoption standard.
	It is the responsibility of the developers to bring all other non-adopted sewers and drains in the maritime area up to adoption standard.

Community Hospitals

Baroness Sharp of Guildford: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many community hospitals with general practitioner beds have been funded through private finance initiatives or public/private projects.

Lord Warner: To date, six community hospitals with a capital value of over £10 million have been funded using the Private Finance Initiative of which five are open and one under construction. Details are not held centrally on the bed complement of the schemes. No information is held centrally on schemes below that value.
	Three community hospitals have been funded under the NHS Local Improvement Finance Trust initiative; all are currently under construction. Again, details are not held centrally on bed complements.
	The term "community hospital" is broadly understood but has no specific national definition.

Company Law Review: Filing of Accounts

Lord Taylor of Warwick: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Why they propose to reduce the amount of time smaller companies are given to file accounts at Companies House from 10 to seven months; and
	Why they propose that companies with a turnover below £5.6 million will for the first time have to file their accounts before they pay their corporation tax.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: The proposed reduction in the amount of time given for smaller companies to file their accounts, and the reasons for it, was initially published in the Company Law Reform White Paper (Cm 6456, 17 March 2005).
	The changes were recommended by the Company Law Review following external consultation and reflect improvements in technology and the increased rate at which information becomes out of date. In addition to this, filing times in other countries are also usually less generous than of those in the UK. In the Hampton report Reducing Administrative Burdens, published in March 2005, it was suggested that the synergies between Companies House and HMRC should be explored, particularly in relation to the data required for filing accounts under company law and under corporation tax law. Currently companies have to send different accounts for different purposes to Companies House and HMRC at different times. These organisations are working together to explore how best to simplify these processes for the benefit of smaller companies.

Convention for the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether any complaints have been made of breaches of the Convention for the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) by the United Kingdom since the United Kingdom accepted the right of complaint to the CEDAW Committee.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: Her Majesty's Government have not been notified of any complaints made of breaches of the Convention for the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) by the United Kingdom since the United Kingdom accepted the right of complaint to the CEDAW Committee.

Council Tax on Second Homes

Baroness Byford: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What proportion of the 90 per cent. council tax levied on second homes is retained for central spending.

Baroness Andrews: All council tax on second homes is raised and spent locally. Under the provisions of Section 11A of Local Government Finance Act 1992, inserted by Section 75 of the Local Government Act 2003, local billing authorities have, since 1 April 2004, had powers to set the council tax discount for second homes at any level between 50 per cent and 10 per cent. The level of discount that the local billing authority sets for second homes does not affect the level of grant received from central government.

County Antrim: Housing Stock

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What plans they have to improve the quality and quantity of their housing stock in Doagh, County Antrim.

Lord Rooker: The Housing Executive currently has a stock of 89 dwellings in the Doagh area of Newtownabbey. It has identified a potential future need in the Parkview area but not until at least 2009. A block of eight flats at Kelburn (four of which are owner occupied) are due to be comprehensively improved by the Housing Executive in the financial year 2006–07.
	For those properties in the private sector (owner-occupiers, landlords and tenants) a range of grants are available to help with the costs of undertaking improvement work. With regard to the provision of private sector housing this is undertaken by private developers where demand exists for such housing.

Defence Industries Council: Anti-Missile Suites

Lord Astor of Hever: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What steps they are taking to engage the members of the Defence Industries Council in the evaluation and development of cost-effective anti-missile suites for civil aircraft.

Lord Drayson: There are a number of technologies capable of defeating shoulder-fired missiles. The Government are considering whether such systems could be applied to civil aviation.

Democratic Republic of Congo: Arms Embargo

Lord Avebury: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Why the list, with supporting evidence, of those found to have violated the measures imposed in paragraph 20 of Security Council Resolution 1493 (2003) of 28 July, 2003 concerning the Democratic Republic of Congo and those found to have supported them, has not yet been provided to the Security Council by the Group of Experts mandated to do so under paragraph 10 of Security Council Resolution 1533 (2004) of 12 March, 2004; and what steps they will take to accelerate the production of this list.

Lord Triesman: The UN Group of Experts on the Democratic Republic of Congo arms embargo submitted a confidential list of individuals and entities that they believed had violated the embargo as an annex to their report to the UN Sanctions Committee in July 2004. The group provided further information in its reports of January and 15 July 2005.
	We are now working with UN Security Council partners to designate a list of violators to be subjected to a travel ban and assets freeze, as agreed in Security Council Resolution 1596 of April 2005. This list will take into account the Croup of Experts' reports and other information from governmental and non-governmental sources.

Dental Services

Lord Colwyn: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	With regard to the allocation of the £250 million extra funding for National Health Service dentistry, what amount will be given to the General Dental Service and the Personal Dental Service; and whether funds for the Community Dental Service and the Hospital Dental Service sectors will be included; and
	Whether the full amount of the £250 million of extra funding for National Health Service dentists will directly reach frontline practitioners without being reduced by administrative costs.

Lord Warner: Two hundred and fifty million pounds represents the planned growth in government provision for general dental and personal dental services in 2005–06 compared to the equivalent spend in 2003–04. All of the funding is dedicated to supporting the cost of service provision. Funding levels for community and hospital dental services are determined at local level and are met from primary care trusts' individual unified budget allocations.

Dental Services

Lord Colwyn: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the speech by the Lord Warner on 21 June (HL Deb, col. 1638), what is the origin of the 480 dentists recently recruited.

Lord Warner: The figure of 480 dentists recruited and in post on 21 June is comprised of:
	202 primary care trust and body corporate recruitment activity
	113 departmental recruitment in Poland
	107 dentists successfully completing international qualifying examination and registering with the Dental Practice Board
	58 returners to National Health Service practice having been members of the keeping in touch scheme
	480 total

Dental Services

Lord Colwyn: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the speech by the Lord Warner on 21 June (HL Deb, col. 1638), how many National Health Service sessions have been "bought back" from individual dentists; how many dentists have been involved; and how much the "buy back" has cost.

Lord Warner: The time commitment of National Health Service dentists is not measured in "NHS sessions" because NHS dentists are largely self-employed independent contractors. It is expected that the equivalent of 350 whole time dentists are involved in buy back; £50 million was made available to the NHS for this exercise.

Dental Services

Lord Colwyn: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the speech by the Lord Warner on 21 June (HL Deb, col. 1640), what areas of expertise the personnel involved in the specialist support team have; how many personnel are involved; what are the 31 areas that have received help from the support team; and what form this support has taken.

Lord Warner: Membership of the Support Team
	The core of the team currently consists of two part-time independent consultants with National Health Service primary care development experience, including dentistry development, plus a full-time personal assistant. The team has also funded four facilitators to work with groups of primary care trusts locally. These facilitators bring a range of dental development skills to the team. In addition, the team uses another management consultant and dental public health consultant to undertake more intensive, on the spot, pieces of work.
	The team worked with 16 PCTs initially and then started to engage with another 16 in Tranche II
	TRANCHE I PCTs
	Fareham and Gosport
	Isle of Wight
	New Forest
	West Gloucestershire
	North East Lincolnshire
	Scarborough, Whitby and Ryedale
	Craven, Harrogate and Rural District
	Northumberland Care Trust
	Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale
	Morecambe Bay
	Shropshire County
	Telford & Wrekin
	South West Staffordshire
	Central Cheshire
	Blackburn with Darwen
	Hyndburn and Ribble Valley PCT
	TRANCHE II PCTs
	Wyre Forest
	Herefordshire
	South Worcestershire
	North Lincolnshire
	Selby and York
	West Lincolnshire
	East Lincolnshire
	Lincolnshire South West Teaching
	West Cumbria
	Carlisle and District
	Eden Valley
	East Staffordshire
	Teignbridge
	East Kent Coastal
	Portsmouth City
	Plymouth
	The team supports PCTs to tackle dental access issues through the development of a dental action plan. The support team expects dental action plans to show that the PCT:
	is actively working to sustain NHS dentistry;
	has quantified the services it is aiming to rebuild;
	is drawing on a range of options for rebuilding NHS dentistry;
	is communicating effectively with local stakeholders;
	and has the capacity to implement the plan.
	The team works closely with the PCT and has insisted on chief executive commitment to the development of these plans.

Department for International Development: Development Awareness Fund

The Earl of Sandwich: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How the Department for International Development's development awareness fund (table 4 in the latest DfID Departmental Report) was distributed in 2003–04 and 2004–05; how much was used by the department; how much was allocated as grants to non-governmental organisations; and why the fund was reduced by over 50 per cent. in 2003–04.

Baroness Amos: Total expenditure on DfID's development awareness fund in 2003–04 was £6,561,000. The figure quoted in the Departmental Report of £2,681,000 for 2003–04 is an error and there was no reduction in the fund's budget in that year. A sum of £5,757,000 was allocated in grants to non-governmental organisations; the remainder of the expenditure was on publications and marketing (£705,000) and research, survey, and evaluation exercises (£99,000).
	In 2004–05, expenditure on the development awareness fund reported in DfID's accounts is expected to be £7,964,000. The lower figure included in the departmental report was an estimated outturn prepared before the accounts were finalised. A sum of £7,140,000 was allocated in grants to non-governmental organisations, £789,000 was spent on publications and marketing, and £35,000 was spent on research, survey and evaluation exercises.

Department of Trade and Industry: Single Tender Contracts

Lord Hanningfield: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many contracts worth £500,000 or more were awarded by the Department of Trade and Industry on a single tender basis in each of the past five years; and what were the main features of those contracts.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: That information is not held centrally and can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Deputy Prime Minister and Mayor of London: Meetings

Lord Baker of Dorking: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What meetings took place between the Deputy Prime Minister and the Major of London between 27 September 2004 and 31 March 2005.

Baroness Andrews: My right honourable friend the Deputy Prime Minister had no official meetings with the Mayor of London between 27 September 2004 and 31 March 2005.
	My right honourable friend the Deputy Prime Minister may have met the London mayor as a matter of course at other functions during this period, however no record of such meetings is held centrally.

Deputy Prime Minister: Meetings

Lord Baker of Dorking: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What meetings took place between the Deputy Prime Minister and Mr Tony Pydgley of Berkeley Homes between 27 September 2004 and 31 March 2005.

Baroness Andrews: My right honourable friend the Deputy Prime Minister had no official meetings with Mr Tony Pydgley of Berkeley Homes between 27 September 2004 and 31 March 2005.

DTI: McKinsey and Co Secondments

Lord Hanningfield: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the United Kingdom-based operation of McKinsey and Company Incorporated is currently carrying out work for any executive non-department public body or advisory non-department public body sponsored by the Department of Trade and Industry; and, if so (a) how many projects the firm has carried out for each of those bodies in the past five years; (b) for each project, how long such work lasted and how many McKinsey employees were involved; (c) what was the nature of the contracts with each of the bodies; and (d) what was the total value of payments made by each such body to the company in each of the past five years.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: There are currently 74 individuals on secondment to the Department of Trade and Industry. The table below indicates the DTI Directorate the secondees are attached to and the organisation they are seconded from.
	
		
			 DTI Directorate Organisation Name 
			 Technology Innovation and Sustainable Development SIRA Ltd 
			 UK Trade & Investment Strategic Rail Authority 
			 Office of Science andTechnology DSTL 
			 Technology Innovation andSustainable Development LGC Ltd 
			 Technology Innovation andSustainable Development TUV NEL 
			 UK Trade & Investment Exploration Consultants Ltd 
			 Business Relations 2 Reuters Ltd 
			 Business Support BP PLC 
			 Shareholder Executive KPMG 
			 Office of Science andTechnology Engineering and PhysicalSciences Research Council 
			 Corporate Law and Governance Forensic Accounting Limited 
			 Energy Markets Unit UK PIA 
			 Regions PKF 
			 Energy Innovation and BusinessUnit RWE npower plc 
			 UK Trade and Investment Royal Agricultural Society ofEngland 
			 UK Trade and Investment Pricewaterhouse Coopers 
			 Consumer and CompetitionPolicy London Borough of Camden 
			 Consumer and CompetitionPolicy Royal Bank of Scotland 
			 Business Relations 1 AEA Technology plc 
			 Facilitating Innovation Northwest Development Agency 
			 Energy Markets Unit National Grid Transco 
			 UK Trade & Investment Black and Veatch Ltd 
			 Corporate Law and Governance Financial Services Authority 
			 Corporate Law and Governance Cobbetts 
			 Business Relations 2 Building ResearchEstablishment 
			 Consumer and CompetitionPolicy Fife Council 
			 Business Relations 1 Marine Electronics Services Ltd 
			 Women and Equality Unit University of Kent 
			 UK Trade & Investment British Nuclear Fuel plc 
			 UK Trade & Investment Hyder Consulting 
			 Shareholder Executive Deloitte & Touche 
			 Regions Ernst & Young 
			 Corporate Law and Governance BDO Stoy Hayward 
			 Technology Innovation andSustainable Development NPL Management Ltd 
			 Office of Science andTechnology Parliamentary Office of Scienceand Technology 
			 Business Relations 1 Yorkshire Forward 
			 Women and Equality Unit Disability Rights Commission 
			 UK Trade & Investment WPS Environmental Ltd 
			 European and World Trade Federal Ministry of Economicsand Labour 
			 Business Relations 1 Ecotec Research and ConsultingLtd 
			 Energy Markets Unit Shell UK Exploration andProduction 
			 Office of Science andTechnology DSTL 
			 UK Trade & Investment Middlesbrough College 
			 Consumer and CompetitionPolicy London Borough ofHammersmith and Fulham 
			 Business Relations 2 Chemical Industries Association 
			 Business Relations 1 Manchester School ofManagement 
			 Nuclear and Coal LiabilitiesUnit British Nuclear Fuel plc 
			 Business Relations 1 URS Corporation 
			 Business Relations 1 GKN 
			 Technology Innovation andSustainable Development Engineering and PhysicalSciences Research Council 
			 UK Trade & Investment Mott MacDonald Group Ltd 
			 Nuclear and Coal LiabilitiesUnit British Nuclear Fuel plc 
			 UK Trade & Investment Association of IndependentMusic Ltd 
			 Business Relations 1 Corus 
			 Women's National Commission Fawcett Society 
			 Europe and World Trade BP plc 
			 Technology Innovation andSustainable Development National Physical Laboratory 
			 Regions KPMG 
			 Finance and ResourceManagement Ernst & Young 
			 Business Relations 1 RWE Innogy plc 
			 Office of Science andTechnology Envisage Ltd 
			 Corporate Law and Governance Lee and Allen Consulting Ltd 
			 UK Trade & Investment Maritime and UnderwaterConsultants Ltd 
			 Office of Science andTechnology British Geological Survey 
			 UK Trade & Investment Passionate Spirits Ltd 
			 Shareholder Executive Deloitte and Touche 
			 UK Trade & Investment Exhibition Consultants Ltd 
			 UK Trade & Investment DSL Consultants Ltd 
			 Office of Science andTechnology Natural Environment ResearchCouncil 
			 Shareholder Executive Pricewaterhouse Coopers 
			 UK Trade & Investment Gilbert Gilkes & Gordon 
			 UK Trade & Investment Corgi Hosiery Ltd 
			 UK Trade & Investment BAE Systems plc 
			 UK Trade & Investment Kellog Brown & Root Lt

DTI: Trade-related Information

Viscount Waverley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What are the factors which determine whether a company can expect to receive trade-related information from the Department of Trade and Industry.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) has a responsibility to help all companies or organisations based in the UK seeking advice or support on trade and investment. When providing information on trade and investment UKTI takes account of companies' ability to benefit from its services, the cost of providing those services and the probable contribution to the companies' business development and competitiveness.

Electoral Commission

Lord Stoddart of Swindon: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many members of the Electoral Commission and their staff have practical experience of contesting elections at national, local or European level either as candidates or agents.

Baroness Ashton of Upholland: The Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 restricts members of the Electoral Commission and staff from being directly involved in the political process. The Act prohibits commissioners and the chief executive of the Electoral Commission from being appointed if: they are a member of a registered party, or are, or in the last 10 years have been, an officer or employee of a registered party or accounting unit; held a relevant elective office; or have been named as a donor in the register of donations.
	Electoral Commission staff are prevented from being appointed if in the last 10 years they have been: an officer or employee of a registered party or accounting unit; held a relevant elective office or have been named as a donor in the register of donations.
	Should you require further information on this matter you may wish to write to the Chairman of the Electoral Commission.

Employment Tribunals: Voluntary Workers

Lady Saltoun of Abernethy: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will require employment tribunals to desist from examining the grievances of voluntary workers as they are not employees.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: The proper place for determining whether a voluntary worker is an employee is in an employment tribunal. Therefore it would not be proper for HMG to direct employment tribunals to desist from examining such grievances.

EU Constitutional Treaty

Lord Dykes: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they plan to hold talks with the Government of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg following the referendum result of 10 July on the future of constitutional developments within the European Union.

Lord Triesman: As Presidency of the Council, the Government will have contacts with many member states over the coming months. There are, however, currently no plans to meet with the Government of the Duchy of Luxembourg to discuss the future of constitutional developments within the European Union. As agreed at the June European Council, EU heads of state or government will return to the matter of the ratification of the Constitutional Treaty in the first half of 2006 to agree on how to proceed.

EU External Action Service

Lord Stoddart of Swindon: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Triesman on 8 June (WA 75–76) concerning the establishment of the European External Action Service, whether they will publish a Command Paper, or similar document, containing (a) the final text of the issue paper of High Representative Solana and Commission President Barroso discussed by the Committee of Permanent Representatives in Brussels; and (b) the five technical information notes from the Council Secretariat.

Lord Triesman: The Government do not plan to publish the Commission's and High Representative's joint "issues paper" on the European External Action Service or the Council Secretariat technical notes as Command Papers. The Government have already made the former available in the Library of the House, alongside a Commission and High Representative progress report which summaries the Council Secretariat technical notes. But the Government do not think it appropriate to publish as a Command Paper informal EU documents into which member states have neither had any input nor endorsed.

EU Presidency: UK-Austria Co-operation

Lord Dykes: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What subjects have been and will be raised with the Austrian government in terms of liaison during the United Kingdom Presidency of the European Union.

Lord Triesman: Austria will assume the presidency of the European Union on 1 January 2006. We have therefore been working, and will continue to work, closely with the Austrian Government to ensure continuity across the range of EU dossiers, as set out in our White Paper on Prospects for the EU in 2005 (CM6611). Such co-operation is consistent with the cross-Presidency Multi-Annual Strategic Programme for 2004–06 agreed in December 2004.

EU Security: Weapons of Mass Destruction Strategy

Lord Dykes: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What action they will take to secure adequate funding for the weapons of mass destruction programme as part of the European Union's overall security strategy.

Lord Triesman: The Government are working with partners to ensure that there are sufficient resources for the global security agenda, including for the initiatives set out in the EU's WMD strategy, in the next financial perspective, 2007 to 2013. This work includes examining the possibilities for a dedicated financial instrument for aspects of counter-proliferation such as nuclear safety under the Euratom Treaty. The Government do not yet have details of funding amounts for the next financial perspective. But we are committed to an overall budget of no more than 1 per cent of EU gross national income.
	The Government are also looking for ways to increase the funding available under the common foreign security policy (CFSP) budget available for non-proliferation projects, whilst recognising that there are many demands on this budget. The Government welcomed the expenditure on non-proliferation projects in 2004 which represented 25 per cent of the total CFSP budget and was a 50 per cent increase on the preview year.

EU Services Directive

Lord Dykes: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether current progress in the European Union Council of Ministers on the draft services directive is satisfactory.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: Since the publication of the Commission proposal in early 2004, significant progress has been made on the technical aspects of the directive.
	At the Competitiveness Council on 6-7 June 2005, the Council of Ministers took note of the presidency report on the state of play regarding the directive and confirmed its intention to continue studying this priority dossier with the aim of reaching an agreement, while taking into account the European Parliament's opinion, which is expected in October 2005.

EU: Official Languages

Lord Maginnis of Drumglass: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether it is necessary for member states of the European Union to register officially mandated languages within their constitutions as official languages of the European Union; and, if so, whether any exceptions have been made to such a rule.

Lord Triesman: Council Regulation 1/1958 specifies which languages are to be regarded as the official and working languages of the EU and makes provision for the use of these languages in the work of the EU institutions. No further specification or registration of these languages in the national law of the member states is necessary.
	It is of course for the member states to determine which languages they will regard as "official" languages for the purposes of their own national laws and administrative requirements.
	The General Affairs and External Relations Council of 13 June adopted conclusions, on a proposal from Spain, for a degree of official recognition in the ELT of all languages that have official status in member states, either through their constitutions or national law. This means that member states may enter into administrative arrangements with the EU institutions over which languages may be used in relations with them, with the member state meeting all the direct or indirect costs incurred. Member states have agreed that any such arrangement should not have any effect on the otherwise efficient functioning of the institutions or on the legal status of the existing official languages of the Union. At the moment, Spain is the only country to have requested such arrangements for its regional languages. The Government have no current plans to make similar provisions for UK languages.

Extraterritorial Jurisdiction

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will take steps to stop the United States making claims of extraterritorial jurisdiction in the United Kingdom.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: The UK Government oppose all assertions of extraterritorial jurisdiction by other states on UK individuals and/or companies.
	The European Commission has competence for dealing with extraterritorial measures taken by third countries against EU member states. Council Regulation EC 2271/96 was introduced by the EU in 1996 to offer protection to EU individuals and companies against extraterritorial legislation including the Helms-Burton Act and the Iran/Libya Sanctions Act, both of which are explicitly extraterritorial in content and whose adoption in the US prompted the introduction of the above so-called blocking legislation.
	In the same year, the UK ratified the EU regulation by means of an amendment to the UK Protection of Trading Interests Act 1980. Both pieces of legislation are designed to protect Community interests by making it illegal for its individuals and companies to comply with US extraterritorial demands. Further, under the terms of the legislation, UK companies are obliged to inform HMG and the European Commission of any extraterritorial action taken against them in order that appropriate protective measures can be taken.
	In May 1998, following lengthy negotiations between the EU and the US in which the UK played a prominent part, an understanding was reached. The EU agreed to suspend action in the World Trade Organisation against the extraterritorial aspects of Helms-Burton in exchange for a EU-wide exemption by the US from the extraterritorial elements of the Act.
	The US continues to introduce new legislation with extraterritorial effect and to apply extraterritorial provisions to certain of its exports. The Government will continue to place pressure on the US to adhere to multilateral trade rules, which assert that the prevailing precepts for deciding the limits of a sovereign state's jurisdiction are the territorial and nationality principles.
	UK trade officials are in close contact with Commission officials with responsibility for the dossier and meet them when cases of extraterritoriality against UK individuals or companies are reported, in order that appropriate, protective steps can be taken.

Football Clubs: Ownership

Lord Morris of Manchester: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Davies of Oldham on 27 June (WA 5), what has been the outcome so far of their monitoring of developments affecting the ownership of Manchester United Football Club.

Lord Davies of Oldham: As stated in my Written Answer to the noble Lord on 27 June (WA 5), there is not a public interest consideration for football under the Enterprise Act 2002. Although the Government have been monitoring developments affecting the ownership of Manchester United Football Club, they have recently concluded that there remains no reason to introduce one.
	The Office of Fair Trading has been considering whether the takeover raises any competition concerns and is expected to make its findings known in due course.
	The Government remain committed to ensuring that all football clubs are run in the best possible way, but issues of ownership remain a matter for the football authorities and clubs to decide on.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Review of Working Practices

Baroness Wilcox: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the review of the working practices of Foreign and Commonwealth Office private offices and the establishment of a new centralised Foreign and Commonwealth Office Ministerial Support Office, as explained in a letter by the Foreign Secretary to Members on 5 July, will be applied across all Government departments; whether the review resulted from guidance issued by the Cabinet Office; and, if so, whether they will make that guidance available.

Lord Triesman: The review, which led to revised private office working practices and the establishment of the Ministerial Support Unit (MSU), was limited to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Many other government departments already operate centralised correspondence units from which the MSU has taken best practice. The MSU handles correspondence from parliamentarians following established Cabinet Office guidelines.

Former Prime Ministers: Tributes

Lord Berkeley: asked the Leader of the House:
	With regard to the deaths of former Prime Ministers in the last 30 years, (a) whether they were Members of the House of Lords; (b) whether they died when the House was sitting; and (c) whether the House paid tributes to them and then adjourned for the rest of the day.

Baroness Amos: The Earl of Avon, a Member of the House, died on 14 January 1977 during the Christmas Recess. The House sat next on 18 January 1977. The House paid tribute and then adjourned.
	The Earl of Stockton, a Member of the House, died on 29 December 1986 during the Christmas Recess. The House sat next on 12 January 1987. The House paid tribute, but did not adjourn.
	The Lord Wilson of Rievaulx, a Member of the House, died on 24 May 1995, a sitting day. The House paid tribute on that day and then adjourned.
	The Lord Home of the Hirsel, a Member of the House, died on 9 October 1995, during the summer recess. The House sat next on 16 October 1995. The House paid tribute, but did not adjourn.
	The Lord Callaghan of Cardiff, a Member of the House, died on 26 March 2005, during the Easter recess. The House sat next on 4 April 2005. On 5 April 2005 the House paid tribute, but did not adjourn.
	Sir Edward Heath, not a Member of the House, died on 17 July 2005. The House sat next on 18 July 2005. The House paid tribute and then adjourned.

Future Aircraft Carrier

Lord Astor of Hever: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will make available the outcome of the recent study 100-day study of progress on the new aircraft carrier programme.

Lord Drayson: No. The 100-day plan was an internal review undertaken as part of the assessment phase of the future aircraft carrier project by the carrier alliance participants—MoD, BAE Systems, Thales UK and Kellogg Brown and Root UK. Given the commercial sensitivity of much of the information, it was never our intention to publish the report. Its outcome will, however, feature prominently in future decision making as we move towards the main investment decision.

Gangmasters Licensing Authority

Baroness Byford: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Bach on 29 June (WA 27), how much it will cost to issue the anticipated 1,000 licences in the first year after the introduction of the gangmasters licensing scheme, broken down between—(a) the cost of establishing and running the authority; and (b) the cost of the staff employed by the authority; and whether there are any other costs prior to the introduction date.

Lord Bach: We can confirm that the cost of establishing the Gangmasters Licensing Authority and the cost of enforcing the offences introduced by the Gangmasters Licensing Act 2004 will be met by Defra. These costs will not affect the fees charged by the authority for the issue of licences.
	The authority was established on 1 April 2005 and is currently working to set up the new licensing arrangements. It is hoped that the authority will complete this work by the end of the current financial year. It is estimated that the cost of setting up the authority during 2005–06 will be some £2.3 million. The authority expects to commence issuing licences early in the 2006–07 financial year. On the assumption that 1,000 licence applications are received in the first year, the authority expects to incur staff costs of some £1.4 million and other costs of some £1.0 million during 2006–07. If the authority meets its anticipated commencement date for issuing licences, few if any of the costs incurred during 2006–07 will be classified as setup costs.
	As required under the Gangmasters Licensing Act the authority will consult the Secretary of State before finalising licence fees. While the Secretary of State would ideally wish to see the authority recover its operating cost through licence fee income, it is also important to ensure licence fees are not seen as a barrier to business or a disincentive to those businesses that wish to operate legally. Final decisions on licence fee levels will be informed through consultation.

Guantanamo Bay

Lord Hylton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will make representations to the United States Government about the report to the Senate Armed Services Committee by General R Schmidt on practices at Guantanamo Bay.

Lord Triesman: We have seen the report submitted by Lt Gen. Schmitt to the Senate Armed Services Committee. There are several recommendations contained within the report that merit further consideration by the US authorities. We look forward to hearing their considered response, We shall continue to discuss the treatment of detainees with the US.

Gulf War Illnesses

Lord Morris of Manchester: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What payments have so far been made in respect of illnesses contracted by troops involved in the current deployment to Iraq, including post traumatic stress disorder.

Lord Drayson: Payments have been made in respect of disablement due to service in Operation TELIC. However, extracting the information required to answer the question from data held would require examination of individual case files and could only be provided at disproportionate effort.

Gulf War Illnesses

Lord Morris of Manchester: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What assessment they have made of the studies, sponsored by the United States Department of Veteran Affairs and the United States Department of Defence, showing autonomic nervous system dysfunction in veterans with Gulf War illnesses; and whether they will consider conducting parallel studies into Gulf War illnesses suffered by United Kingdom veterans.

Lord Drayson: The Ministry of Defence is aware of US studies which suggest a possible link between autonomic dysfunction and symptoms in unwell veterans of the 1990–91 Gulf conflict. We are also aware of other studies which have found no such link and look forward to the publication of results from further studies currently underway.
	In its 2003 review of research into Gulf veterans' illnesses, the Medical Research Council advised that there is no substantive evidence of such a link and no further research in this area was recommended. The results of an earlier MoD-sponsored study in this area, which found no objective abnormalities of the autonomic nervous system, neuromuscular transmission, or skeletal muscles in symptomatic veterans, were published in the journal Neurology on 26 November 2002.

Gulf War Veterans: Neuro-imaging Studies

Lord Morris of Manchester: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether, given the differences between the United States and United Kingdom troops involved in the 1990–91 Gulf conflict in terms of their exposures to immunisation programmes and pesticides, the Ministry of Defence will reconsider the decision not to proceed with neuro-imaging studies and to rely entirely on United States data.

Lord Drayson: The decision not to pursue neuro-imaging studies on UK veterans of the 1990–91 Gulf conflict at present was made on the advice of an independent group of experts assembled by the Medical Research Council. The expert group took into account that the UK cohort was different from the US, and that UK veterans have a somewhat different exposure history and needs. However, the expert group did not feel there was a need to replicate neuro-imaging studies in the UK and was unable to identify a specific way in which neuro-imaging studies could provide clear benefit to UK veterans.

Hampton Review

Lord Taylor of Warwick: asked Her Majesty's Government
	Whether they propose to implement the recommendation of the Hampton review of regulatory inspection and enforcement concerning the move of the Office of Fair Trading's consumer functions to a new consumer and standards regulator.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: The Government have accepted the recommendations of the Hampton review, and a consultation on the options for establishing the Consumer and Trading Standards Agency (CTSA) was released on 5 July 2005. The consultation addresses potential roles and responsibilities and seeks views on the best options for the future structure of the CTSA.

Home Energy Conservation Act 1995

Baroness Maddock: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	When they will publish reports for 2003–04 pursuant to the Home Energy Conservation Act 1995.

Lord Bach: Reports were published on the 21 July 2005—see (WS 199) from the Minister of State for Climate Change Environment.
	Copies were placed in the Libraries and on the Defra website at www.defra.gov.uk/environment/energy/heca95/index.htm#Data.

Home Energy Conservation Act 1995

Baroness Maddock: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What assessment they have made of the amount of energy saved to date as a result of the implementation of the Home Energy Conservation Act 1995.

Lord Bach: It is estimated that the energy reported as being saved to 31 March 2004 as a result of the implementation of the Home Energy Conservation Act 1995 is approximately 93.4 TWh (terawatt hours).
	This figure is as reported by the energy conservation authorities and has not been independently verified. Increased energy use, expansion of housing stock and degradation of energy-saving installations have not been taken into account. The data reported also have overlaps with data reported in existing programmes which contribute to energy efficiency, such as Warm Front, the Energy Efficiency Commitment, Decent Homes and so on.

Home Energy Conservation Act 1995

Baroness Maddock: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What assessment they have made of the impact upon energy conservation activities, pursuant to the Home Energy Conservation Act 1995, of the comprehensive performance assessment regime whereby councils declared "excellent" no longer have to publish under the Act.

Lord Bach: The Local Authorities Plans and Strategies (Disapplication) (England) Order 2005 was signed on 31 January and came into force on 1 February 2005. This removes the requirement for excellent local authorities to produce seven statutory plans, including the Home Energy Conservation Act for the 2004–05 reporting round onward.
	The 59 excellent authorities will still be asked to produce the essential data required annually for monitoring progress but they will not be required to state what they are planning to do.

House of Lords: Members' Transport

Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer: asked the Chairman of Committees:
	Further to his Written Answer on 14 July (WA 171), what is the House's policy on the use of different forms of transport by Members of the House and staff for domestic travel, with respect to (a) cost; and (b) environmental impact.

Lord Brabazon of Tara: The House's policy on domestic travel by Members is set out in detail in the Members' Reimbursement Allowance Scheme: A General Guide. It is up to individual Members to decide what mode of transport to use, although paragraph 4.2.9 of the guide states that "Travel by private car is considerably more expensive than by public transport and Members are therefore urged to use public transport wherever practicable."
	The House's policy on domestic travel by staff is set out in detail in Appendix F of the Staff Handbook. Paragraph 9 of that appendix states that "The most economic mode of travel, having regard to all the circumstances, should be chosen."
	The House has no policy specifically relating to the environmental impact of travel for either Members or staff.

House of Lords: Recording Aviation Miles Accrued by Members and Staff on Official Visits

Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer: asked the Chairman of Committees:
	Further to his Written Answer on 14 July (WA 171), whether, in view of the environmental impact of air travel, he has any plans in future to keep records of the aviation miles accrued by Members of the House and staff on official visits and exchanges. [HL
	 Question number missing in Hansard, possibly truncated question.

Lord Brabazon of Tara: I have no plans to keep such records. I do not consider that the benefits of recording aviation miles would outweigh the inconvenience to Members and the costs of staff time which this would require.
	As I have previously stated, the Parliamentary Estates Directorate, which serves both Houses, has a partnership arrangement with the Carbon Trust to help reduce carbon dioxide emissions, help reduce energy consumption and develop a corporate strategy for the management of carbon dioxide. I consider that this is the appropriate way for the House to seek to reduce its environmental impact.

Identity Cards Programme: Staffing

The Earl of Northesk: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many (a) consultants, (b) civil servants, and (c) secondees are currently working on the development and procurement phases of the identity card scheme.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: As at end of May 2005, the identity cards programme team comprised 43 civil servants and contracted staff, 62 consultants and one secondee. All figures are full time equivalent.

Identity Cards: Biometrics

The Earl of Northesk: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What scientific and technological assessment they have made in support of the assumption that the identity card scheme would operate satisfactorily if the biometric data of individuals were to be updated at 10-year intervals.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: The identity cards programme has taken a number of steps to assess the operation of biometrics and card technology as part of setting requirements for the proposed identity cards scheme. The programme has formed a team with experience in biometrics and technology who have conducted a review of relevant scientific research in this area. They are working with leading experts from the US National Institute for Standards & Technology, San Jose University, UK National Physical Laboratory, members of the Biometrics Working Group and the Communications-Electronic Security Group as well as learning from the experience of our colleagues at UK Passport Service, Immigration & Nationality Directorate and the Police Information Technology Organisation (PITO). Lessons from international biometric identity cards schemes such as Hong Kong and the Philippines are also being reviewed and initial engagement with companies in the field of biometrics has taken place in accordance with Office for Government Commerce guidelines. This work will continue and will be subject to the supervision of the Home Office Senior Biometric Adviser and our biometric assurance group, chaired by Sir David King, the Government's Chief Scientific Adviser. The work of the National Physical Laboratory, in its 2003 feasibility study on the use of biometrics report, confirms that, "In the case of facial recognition, it would seem advisable to update the templates at least every 10 years. Fingerprints and iris should be considerably more stable". This report can be found on the Identity Cards website.

India: Citizenship

Lord Avebury: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will place in the Library of the House the Note Verbale of the British High Commission in New Delhi dated 20 April (ref: CH342/05) seeking views of the Government of India on several points of Indian nationality law.

Lord Triesman: A copy of the Note Verbale (ref CH342/05) has been placed in the Library of the House.

Interest Charges: Credit Cards

Lord Taylor of Warwick: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they have any plans to require lenders to standardise the way in which they charge interest on credit cards.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: The key to consumer empowerment in this area is ensuring that borrowers are given clear information about how the interest charges under an agreement will be calculated, before they commit themselves.
	The new transparency regime that we have introduced fulfils this function. The new rules require consumers to be given information both pre-contract and in the credit agreement. Since 31 of May this year a statement of when and how interest charges are calculated and applied under the agreement has to be included up-front in the agreement.
	Beyond this, I have reservations about whether standardising interest rate calculations would be beneficial to consumers. Not all borrowers want to use credit in the same way, and they benefit from being able to choose a product that complements the way that they organise their finances. I am concerned that standardisation would restrict or even eliminate this consumer choice.

International Criminal Court

Lord Astor of Hever: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What power they have to intervene in order to prevent the International Criminal Court from assuming jurisdiction in a case where a British citizen is prospectively accused; and how such a power would be exercised.

Lord Triesman: Under the principle of "complementarity", the International Criminal Court (ICC) is only able to exercise jurisdiction in a situation when the state, of which the alleged perpetrator of the crime is a national, is unwilling or genuinely unable to carry out its own investigation or prosecution.
	The International Criminal Court Act 2001 consolidated various existing legislative instruments, using the precise legal definitions provided for under the statute of the ICC. This enables the United Kingdom to prosecute for all such crimes, as stipulated by the Rome statute. This legislative approach was adopted in order to ensure that any necessary investigations or prosecutions could take place under UK law. Any allegations that crimes under this Act have been committed by British citizens would be considered and investigated by the relevant British authorities. As such, we believe that ICC involvement would not be required.

International Criminal Court

Lord Astor of Hever: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the International Criminal Court has power to assume, of its own volition, jurisdiction in a particular case.

Lord Triesman: The International Criminal Court (ICC) would only have jurisdiction to investigate and, if necessary, prosecute any particular case, where the state of the nationality of the suspect, or the state where the crimes took place, is unable or willing to act. In such cases, where, under Article 15 of the Rome Statute of the ICC, the ICC prosecutor seeks to initiate an investigation under his own powers, he must first seek the authority of the pre-trial chamber to ensure he has a reasonable basis to proceed.
	The ICC has, until now, only exercised jurisdiction in situations which have been referred to it:
	(i) under the Rome Statute, of the ICC by States Parties—Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo; or
	(ii) by the United Nations Security Council as in the case of Darfur.

International Criminal Court

Lord Astor of Hever: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What persons or organisations have access to the International Criminal Court that would enable them to invite the court to assume jurisdiction in a particular case.

Lord Triesman: Under the Rome statute of the International Criminal Court, situations may be referred to the court by a state party, as has been the case in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, or by the Security Council, as was most recently the case with Darfur.
	In addition, the prosecutor may begin an investigation on his own initiative, based on any information received by his office. Although it is open to any individual to communicate information relating to allegations of ICC crimes to the Office of the Prosecutor, the prosecutor is required to examine all allegations received rigorously and independently. Any decision that he might take to proceed with an investigation in such circumstances would first be reviewed again by an ICC pre-trial chamber composed of three judges. We understand that the prosecutor has received a large number of such communications.
	The ICC would have jurisdiction to investigate and, if necessary, prosecute any particular case only where the state of nationality of the suspect or the state where the crimes took place is unable or willing to act.

Iraq: British Troop Withdrawal

Lord Dykes: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	By what date they expect the complete departure of British troops from Iraq to take place.

Lord Drayson: British forces will remain in Iraq for as long as the Iraqi Government judge that the coalition is required to provide security and to assist the Iraqi security forces.
	Factors in determining the scope and timeline for eventual UK force level reductions in Iraq will include: the readiness of the Iraqi security forces to take responsibility for the range of security tasks; the overall security situation; and progress in the political process.

Iraq: Civilian Casualties

Lord Dykes: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will discuss the latest estimates of Iraqi civilian casualties with the United States Government.

Lord Triesman: We discuss a number of issues relating to Iraq on an ongoing basis with the US. The Iraqi Government takes the lead on issues relating to Iraqi civilian casualties.

Israel and Palestine

Lord Dykes: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What response they are offering to current discussions between United Nations member states on actions needed to comply with the decision last year of the International Court of Justice that the Israeli security fence is unlawful.

Lord Triesman: We supported United Nations General Assembly Resolution ES (Emergency Session) 10/15 which acknowledged the international Court of Justice (ICJ) advisory opinion of 9 July 2004 on the legal consequences of the construction of the barrier in the occupied Palestinian territory. We agree with the broad conclusion of the ICJ, that building a barrier along the current route is unlawful. We have discussed the way forward with EU partners and others. We continue to press Israel to comply with international law.

Israel and Palestine

Lord Dykes: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they plan to hold an early meeting with the organisation Jews for Justice for Palestinians.

Lord Triesman: We appreciate the important work done by non-governmental organisations such as Jews for Justice for Palestinians. There are currently no plans for any further meetings, but we value continuing contacts with them.

Israel and Palestine: EU Intervention

Lord Dykes: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will use the period of the United Kingdom presidency of the European Union to assist the Palestinian Authority's request for European Union intervention and sanctions to interdict further Israeli expansion of settlements in the West Bank and the use of Palestinian land for the construction of the security fence.

Lord Triesman: There is currently no formal proposal from the Palestinian Authority asking the European Union to consider sanctions with respect to settlement expansion and the requisition of land for construction of the barrier. The EU's position is clear: settlement expansion and construction of the barrier on occupied territory is illegal under international law. The EU does not support sanctions against Israel. We do not believe that sanctions against one side would bring the parties any nearer to a peaceful resolution. Instead, we have pursued a policy of constructive engagement.
	As President of the European Union we are keen to take the peace process forward with our partners in the quartet (US, UN, EU and Russia). The key priority for the first few months of the presidency is to support the work of Quartet Special Envoy for Disengagement James Wolfensohn, in order to help make Gaza economically viable after Israeli withdrawal. In addition, we are supporting Palestinian efforts at institution building. Successful disengagement and stronger Palestinian institutions could pave the way back to the road map.

Joint Intelligence Committee

Lord Dykes: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will urgently reconsider the report of the Joint Intelligence Committee in February 2003, particularly with regard to its references to the connection between military action in Iraq and the apparent expansion of al-Qaeda.

Baroness Amos: The Joint Intelligence Committee generally meets weekly to consider the latest assessments of intelligence on a wide range of issues including the threat from international terrorism and the situation in Iraq.

London: Terrorist Attacks

Lord Dykes: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they have established specific links between the bomb attacks in London on 7 July and current British activities in Iraq.

Lord Triesman: No. We have not established any links.

Lord Birt

Lord Hanningfield: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What advice the Lord Birt, the Prime Minister's strategy adviser, has given in regard to the reform of the BBC.

Lord Davies of Oldham: Lord Birt's role as Prime Minister's strategy adviser excludes broadcasting policy. He has occasionally expressed informal and personal views in conversation with the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, having registered his interests.

Lord Birt

Lord Hanningfield: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether Lord Birt, since his appointment as the Prime Minister's strategy adviser, has met (a) Mr Mark Thompson, director-general of the BBC, and (b) the board of governors of the BBC; and, if so, what issues were discussed on each occasion.

Lord Davies of Oldham: Lord Birt has meetings with a wide range of organisations and individuals in his role as the Prime Minister's unpaid adviser, although his remit does not extend to broadcasting policy.

Lord Birt

Baroness Wilcox: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the role of the Lord Birt, as the Prime Minister's strategy adviser, includes offering advice on the BBC Charter review; and, if so, what advice he has given.

Lord Davies of Oldham: Lord Birt's role as Prime Minister's strategy adviser excludes broadcasting policy.

Lord Birt

Baroness Wilcox: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the Lord Birt, in his capacity as the Prime Minister's Strategy Adviser, has met Mr Michael Grade, Chairman of the BBC, since May 2004 in order to discuss the future of the BBC and its charter review.

Lord Davies of Oldham: Lord Birt has meetings with a wide range of organisations and individuals in his role as the Prime Minister's unpaid adviser, although his remit does not extend to broadcasting policy.

Lord Birt

Baroness Wilcox: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Which members of the Board of the BBC the Lord Birt has met in his capacity as the Prime Minister's strategy adviser, in order to discuss the future of the BBC and its charter review.

Lord Davies of Oldham: Lord Birt has meetings with a wide range of organisations and individuals in his role as the Prime Minister's unpaid adviser, although his remit does not extend to broadcasting policy.

McKinsey and Co.

Lord Hanningfield: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the United Kingdom-based operation of McKinsey and Company Incorporated is currently carrying out work for any executive non-department public body or advisory non-department public body sponsored by the Department of Trade and Industry; and, if so (a) how many projects the firm has carried out for each of those bodies in the past five years; (b) for each project, how long such work lasted and how many McKinsey employees were involved; (c) what was the nature of the contracts with each of the bodies; and (d) what was the total value of payments made by each such body to the company in each of the past five years.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: Operational decisions by executive NDPBs are matters for the bodies concerned. The DTI has however contacted each of its executive NDPBs and asked them to write direct to the noble Lord and provide him with the necessary information if they are currently using McKinsey and Company Incorporated.
	Advisory NDPBs do not have their own budgets so would not be in a position to commission work from McKinsey and Company Incorporated or any other organisation.

McKinsey and Co.

Lord Hanningfield: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the United Kingdom-based operation of McKinsey and Company Incorporated is currently carrying out work for any executive non-department public body or advisory non-department public body sponsored by the Home Office; and, if so (a) how many projects the firm has carried out for each of those bodies in the past five years; (b) for each project, how long such work lasted and how many McKinsey employees were involved; (c) what was the nature of the contracts with each of the bodies; and (d) what was the total value of payments made by each such body to the company in each of the past five years.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: The United Kingdom-based operation of McKinsey and Company Incorporated is not currently carrying out work for any executive non-department public body or advisory non-department public body sponsored by the Home Office. But the Criminal Cases Review Commission is currently negotiating with McKinsey to use it to do a review of its casework processes. No contract is yet in place.

McKinsey and Co.

Lord Hanningfield: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the United Kingdom-based operation of McKinsey and Company Incorporated is currently carrying out work for any executive non-department public body or advisory non-department public body sponsored by the Department for Transport; and, if so (a) how many projects the firm has carried out for each of those bodies in the past five years; (b) for each project, how long such work lasted and how many McKinsey employees were involved; (c) what was the nature of the contracts with each of the bodies; and (d) what was the total value of payments made by each such body to the company in each of the past five years.

Lord Davies of Oldham: No contracts have been awarded to McKinsey and Company by any executive non-departmental public body or advisory non-departmental public body sponsored by the Department for Transport.

McKinsey and Co.

Baroness Wilcox: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the United Kingdom-based operation of McKinsey and Company is currently engaged in any work for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport in regard to the BBC charter review.

Lord Davies of Oldham: The United Kingdom based operation of McKinsey and Company is not currently engaged in any work for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport in regard to the BBC charter review.

Ministry of Defence: Stolen Equipment

Lord Hanningfield: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is their estimate of (a) stolen, and (b) missing or lost equipment from Ministry of Defence property and sites in each of the past five years.

Lord Drayson: (a) The reported value of equipment stolen from the department in each of the past five years is as follows:
	2004–05 £677,000
	2003–04 £1,220,00
	2002–03 £326,000
	2001–02 £85,000
	2000–01 £221,000
	(b) The reported value of losses to the department in each of the past five years is listed in the department's annual report and accounts, copies of which are available in the Library of the House.

Mobile Phone Operators: Contingency Planning

Lord Lucas: asked Her Majesty's Government,
	Whether they will ask United Kingdom mobile telephone operators to react to network overload, caused by an event such as the recent bombs in London, by restricting the general public to text messages, rather than cutting their communications entirely.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: I note your concerns. The Telecoms Industry Emergency Planning Forum will be meeting on 28 July to review events on 7 July and any lessons learnt. This forum is a tripartite industry/regulator/government group that meets regularly, under the chairmanship of the Cabinet Office (CSIA), to review contingency planning and operational arrangements for an emergency. I will pass on your suggestion with a request that the group consider it.

MoD: Award of Contracts

Lord Hanningfield: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many contracts worth £500,000 or more were awarded by the Ministry of Defence on a single tender basis in each of the past five years; and what were the main features of those contracts.

Lord Drayson: The table below lists information extracted from the Defence Bills Agency database covering the number of single tender, non-competitive contracts worth £500,000 or more awarded by the Ministry of Defence in each of the last five financial years.
	
		
			 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 
			 310 276 384 373 399 
		
	
	It is not clear what the "main features" of these contracts mean but to provide details about each contract is not possible without incurring disproportionate cost, as the information is not held centrally.
	On the assumption the main interest lies in the tender process, then open and fair competition, both at prime and subcontract level, remains the bedrock of MoD's procurement policy. It is the most effective means of achieving value for money and of developing an efficient and innovative defence industry and enables any competent supplier to tender for MoD work, without discrimination or favour.
	However, competition will not be pursued where it is not sensible, practicable or beyond the point where there is no longer a probability of improving long-term value for money. To ensure best value for money when a contract is awarded by non-competitive means, the MoD employs a "no agreed price, no contract" policy, by way of price negotiation, to try and replicate the market forces from the competitive arena.

MoD: Care for the Under-18s

Lord Taylor of Warwick: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	When the new guidelines on the care and management of under-18s in the Armed Forces will be available.

Lord Drayson: The Guidance Note on Care for the Under-18s was issued to the principal personnel officers in the armed services on 12 July. I am placing a copy in the Library of the House.

MoD: Contracts to McKinsey and Co

Lord Hanningfield: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether any contract awarded by the Ministry of Defence to McKinsey and Company Incorporated in the past five years was on a single tender basis; if so, what were the terms of the contract in question; and why it was awarded on that basis.

Lord Drayson: Over the past five years the Ministry of Defence has awarded three contracts to McKinsey and Co on a single tender basis from the start.
	These contracts were for consultancy advice relating to:
	the MOD's Change Programme. This contract covered work from 7 May 2002 to 19 March 2004, and cost £2,223,000;
	the MOD's Business Management System. This contract, which covers work from 18 April 2005, is ongoing, and is worth £75,000;
	the Eurofighter project. This contract ran from 14 April 2003 to 13 January 2004, and cost £182,500.
	McKinsey and Co were selected on a single tender basis for these three contracts because they were considered to be the only contractor with the necessary skills and attributes to undertake the work within the required timescales.
	In addition, seven other contracts have been awarded in the same period on a single source basis because they related to follow-on work on contracts already placed with the company following competitive tender.

National Insurance Credits

Baroness Hollis of Heigham: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What percentage and number of working age adults (by gender) they estimate will be accruing national insurance credits in 2010 and in 2020 because (a) they will be above the lower earnings limit (although below the lower tax threshold); and (b) they are in receipt of tax credits but are below the lower earnings limit; and [HL
	What percentage and number of working age adults (by gender) they estimate will be receiving national insurance credits in 2010 and in 2020 for—(a) incapacity benefit and other disability benefits; (b) statutory sick pay, statutory maternity pay and connected benefits; (c) carers allowance; (d) jobseekers allowance, training programmes and other unemployment benefits; (e) home responsibilities protection for children under the age of 16 years; (f) home responsibilities protection for other caring activities; and (g) credits under existing rules for auto-enrolment; and what percentage and number of working age adults (by gender) they estimate would qualify in 2010 and 2020 for national insurance credits not included in the above categories; and [HL
	What percentage and number of working age adults (by gender) they estimate in total will be receiving national insurance credits in 2010 and in 2020.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The available information is in the tables. Information provided for PQ1249 and PQ1250 is the number potentially eligible for national insurance credits rather than the numbers expecting to receive them. The estimates therefore include people eligible for credits but who might also be economically active and also paying national insurance (NI) contributions. For example, a person's eligibility to home responsibilities protection is based on receipt of child benefit regardless of whether that person is working and paying NI contributions. All estimates have been provided by the Government Actuary's Department.
	
		
			 PQ/05/1248 GB, thousands, average numbers per week  
			 What percentage and number of working age adults (by gender) they estimate will be accruing national insurance credits in 2010 and 2020 because (a)   they will be above the lower earnings limit (although below the lower tax threshold) and 2010–11 PercentageNumber MenWomen MenWomen 0.5%1.4%93246 
			   2020–21 PercentageNumber Men WomenMenWomen 0.4%1.0%74202 
			  (b)   they are in receipt of tax credits but are below the lower earnings limit 2010–11 PercentageNumber MenWomenMenWomen n/an/an/an/a 
			   2020–21 Percentage   Number MenWomenMenWomen n/an/an/an/a 
		
	
	Please note the following about the above estimates (PQ/05/1248):
	(1) Projections relating to tax credits are not reliable due to changes in the tax credit system and therefore information has not been provided for part (b).
	(2) Numbers are based on number of jobs, not individuals; therefore if an individual has two jobs with earnings above the LEL but below the lower tax threshold they will be counted twice in the table.
	(3) Estimates are based on projections for the Update to the Quinquennial Review (QR) of the
	National Insurance Fund (NIF) published in December 2004 and are for Great Britain (the figures come from the prices uprating of basic state pension with 2 per cent real earnings growth scenerio, details on the assumptions underlying those projections are provided in the report on the Update to the QR of the NIF).
	(4) Estimates of the working age population are from the 2003-based population projections and define working age population to be all people aged 16 to state pension age.
	(5) The number of women includes women retaining the option to pay at the reduced rate.
	
		
			 PQ/05/1249 GB, thousands, average numbers per week 
			 What percentage and number of working age adults (by gender) they estimate will be eligible national insurance credits in 2010 and 2020 for— (a)   incapacity benefit and other disability benefits; 2010–11 Percentage   Number Men Women Men Women 8.7%6.8%1,6721,200 
			   2020–21 PercentageNumber Men WomenMenWomen 8.9%8.5%1,7241,644 
			  (b)   statutory sick pay, statutory maternity pay and connected benefits; 2010–11 PercentageNumber MenWomenMenWomen 0.0%0.2%043 
			   2020–21 PercentageNumber MenwomenmenWomen 0.0%0.2%044 
			  (c)   carers allowance; 2010–11 PercentageNumber MenWomenMenWomen 0.7%2.1%130372 
			 
			   2020–21 PercentageNumber MenWomenMenWomen 0.7%1.9%134378 
			  (d)   jobseekers allowance, programmes and other unemployment benefits; 2010–11 PercentageNumber MenWomenMenWomen 3.7%1.5%716256 
			   2020–21 PercentageNumber MenWomenMenWomen 3.8%1.4%737268 
			  (e)   home responsibilities protection for children under the age of 16 years; 2010–11 PercentageNumber MenWomenMenWomen 1.2%30.1%2395,297 
			   2020–21 PercentageNumber MenWomenMenWomen 1.2%27.3%2425,309 
			  (f)   home responsibilities protection for other caring activities; 2010–11 PercentageNumber MenWomenMenWomen 0.0%0.0%01 
			   2020–21 PercentageNumber MenWomenMenWomen 0.0%0.0%01 
			  (g)   credits under existing rules for autocredits 2010–11 PercentageNumber MenWomenMenWomen 7.5%0.6%1,449107 
			   2020–21 PercentageNumber MenWomenMenWomen 7.6%9.2%1,4801,780 
			  total others (starting credits) 2010–11 PercentageNumber MenWomenMenWomen 5.9%6.1%1,1301,069 
			   2020–21 PercentageNumber MenWomenMenWomen 5.4%5.1%1,0481,000 
		
	
	
		
			 PQ/05/1250 GB, thousands, average numbers per week  
			 What percentage and number of working age adults (by gender) they estimate in total will be eligible national insurance credits in 2010 and 2020 2010–11 PercentageNumber MenWomenMenWomen 27.7%47.5%5,3368,345 
			  2020–21 PercentageNumber MenWomenMenWomen 27.7%53.6%5,36610,422 
		
	
	Please note the following about the above estimates (PQ/05/1249 & PQ/05/1250):
	(1) These figures include "potential credits" cases. For example, there are people eligible for credits because of home responsibilities protection, autocredits and education credits (among others) who might be economically active, in work and therefore also paying national insurance contributions.
	(2) Part (f) asks about "credits under existing rules for auto-enrolment" and we have assumed this to mean those receiving credits because of autocredits. Autocredits projections assume that autocredits will be available to men and women aged 6064 following equalisation of state pension age, which begins in 2010. This is in line with current policy.
	(3) Figures represent the average number in any given week in the year and are not the number who might be eligible at some point in that year.
	(4) Numbers represent working age population—age 16 to pension age. Based on Government Actuary's Department (GAD) 2003 population projections for Great Britain (GB). Allowance is made for raising female pension age between 2010 and 2020.
	(5) Estimates of numbers claiming each benefit are provided by GAD.
	(6) The total credits will add up to more than the numbers inactive. This is because it is possible to be
	economically active and receive credits. For example, the unemployed are counted as "active" but will get credits if claiming JobSeekers Allowance.
	(7) The estimates are based on the same assumptions for economic activity as used for the GAD QR update.
	(8) Starting credits (included in the other category) are awarded from the age of 16 for up to three years for those that need them.
	(9) No data is given for statutory sick pay (SSP) or statutory maternity pay (SMP). People with SSP or SMP are employed, liable for contributions and are not normally entitled to credits.

North/South Implementation Bodies

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Rooker on 8 June [HL 63], how Unionists currently input into decisions concerning the implementation of existing policies for the cross-border bodies.

Lord Rooker: The North/South Bodies continue to implement the policies and activities agreed by the North/South Ministerial Council and as the noble Lord is well aware, the original decisions fully reflected Unionist party input.

North/South Ministerial Secretariat

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What are the details of travel within Northern Ireland by the North/South Ministerial Secretariat in Armagh since its creation.

Lord Rooker: Members of the Joint Secretariat (North) are required to travel in both Northern Ireland and Ireland in the performance of their duties, but the details are not recorded separately for each jurisdiction.

Northern Ireland Assets Recovery Agency

Lord Maginnis of Drumglass: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What has been (a) the annual budget; and (b) the full-time equivalent staffing levels, of the Northern Ireland Assets Recovery Agency for each year since it was established.

Baroness Farrington of Ribbleton: The budget allocated to the Northern Ireland arm of the agency was £2.071 million in 2003–04 and £2.326 million in 2004–05. The ARA budget for 2005–06 has been held flat at 2004–05 levels, but it is anticipated that the agency in Northern Ireland will be allocated additional funds as a result of 2004–05 end-year flexibility (EYF).
	2003–04: £13 million (of which £2.071 million allocated to Belfast); 2004–05: £15.5 million plus £2.1 million EYF (of which £2.326 million allocated to Belfast). 2005–06: £15.5 million plus £2.5 million EYF (of which £3.028 million allocated to Belfast).
	
		Staffing levels: -- As at 31 March 2004 (taken from the Annual Report 2003–04)
		
			  Number 
			 AD Office and Business Support 3 
			 Operations 14 
			 Legal 4 
			 Finance 6 
			 Total 27 
		
	
	
		As at 31 March 2005 (taken from the Annual Report 2004–05
		
			  Number 
			   
			 AD Office and Business Support 4 
			 Operations 18 
			 Legal 9 
			 Finance 7 
			 Total 38 
		
	
	
		As, at 19 July 2005
		
			  Number 
			 AD Office and Business Support 4 
			 Operations 23 
			 Legal 13 
			 Finance 7 
			 Total 47 
		
	
	It should also be noted that the bulk of the staff increases in the Belfast office have been in those staff directly involved in investigating and pursuing the assets of terrorists and criminals. In that context, for example, since 1 April 2004 the number of financial investigators in Belfast has increased from four to nine and the number of lawyers from three to six.

Northern Ireland Assets Recovery Agency

Lord Maginnis of Drumglass: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What plans they have to increase the budget and manpower of the Northern Ireland Assets Recovery Agency in the next five years.

Baroness Farrington of Ribbleton: Budgets for the next five years will not be fixed until the next spending review. SR 2004 set budget assumptions up to 2007–08.
	The agency as a whole is working to a baseline budget assumption of £15.5m together with variable factors that have yet to be determined, including end-year flexibility, receivers' fees and the incentivisation scheme. The share allocation of the total baseline budget to the Belfast office beyond 2005–06 has yet to be determined.
	The Belfast office has gone through a recent period of expansion as reported in the recently published annual report for 2004–05. Recruitment of staff to fill the central functions of the Belfast office—operations, legal and finance—continues into 2005–06 but will reduce as the office reaches capacity. The agency anticipates, following the current round of recruitment to cover the expansion, that over the next five years there will be a net zero increase in staff in the Belfast office.

Northern Ireland Assets Recovery Agency

Lord Maginnis of Drumglass: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What has been the value of assets (a) frozen; (b) recovered through civil recovery; and (c) recovered through taxation by the Northern Ireland Assets Recovery Agency for each year since it was established.

Baroness Farrington of Ribbleton: AssetsFrozen Assets Recovered Receipts 
			 2003–04
			 England and £17.9m None (first full £0.002m 
			 Wales £3.1m year of (first 
			 Northern Ireland £21m operation) full year 
			of operation) 
			 Total   £0.002m 
			 
			 2004–05
			 England and £13.1m £4.1m £3.9m 
			 Wales £3.7m £1.4m £0.7m 
			 Northern Ireland £16.8m £5.5m  
			 Total   £4.6m

Northern Ireland Civil Service

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Since 2000, how many members of the Northern Ireland Civil Service have been found guilty of bullying or harassing staff; in how many cases action has been taken against those found guilty; and what was the form of any action taken.

Baroness Farrington of Ribbleton: In the period from 1 January 2000 to 31 December 2004, 61 complaints of bullying or harassment were upheld against members of the Northern Ireland Civil Service.
	In 47 of these cases action was taken against officers as set out below:
	dismissed, 3
	downgraded, demoted and ban on promotion for three years, 1
	demoted, transferred, to another location, 1
	transferred and severe reprimand, 1
	banned from promotion for two years, salary increment withheld and severe reprimand, 1
	banned from promotion for two years, financial penalty and severe reprimand, 1
	banned from promotion for one year, financial penalty and severe reprimand, 1
	banned from promotion for two years, and severe reprimand (1) banned from promotion for two years, 1
	financial penalty and severe reprimand, 2
	severe reprimand, 6
	written warning, 14
	written warning, and financial penalty, 2
	written warning and transfer, 3
	financial penalty, 1
	verbal warning, 7
	transferred to another post and required to provide written apology, 1.

Northern Ireland Civil Service

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is their approach to public servants in Northern Ireland who have been found guilty of bullying or harassing staff.

Baroness Farrington of Ribbleton: Where an investigation finds that a member of the Northern Ireland Civil Service is guilty of bullying or harassing another member of staff, there is a range of actions that can be taken. These will depend on the circumstances and severity of each individual case but might include:
	relocation or transfer of one or more of the individuals involved;
	training or re-training, as appropriate, for one or all parties to the complaint;
	disciplinary action ranging from suspension, withholding salary increments and, in serious cases, dismissal;
	counselling and support for individuals involved;
	appropriate redress for the person found to have been bullied or harassed;
	or a review of policies and procedures where appropriate.

Northern Ireland Department for Culture, Arts and Leisure

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	On what basis and by whom the Northern Ireland Department for Culture, Arts and Leisure is monitored annually.

Baroness Farrington of Ribbleton: The department is accountable to my honourable friend the Minister of State with responsibility for Culture, Arts and Leisure who in turn is accountable to my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. Both are accountable to Parliament.
	In common with all Northern Ireland departments, the annual resource accounts of the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure are subject to scrutiny and certification by the Comptroller and Auditor General for Northern Ireland.

Northern Ireland Department for Culture, Arts and Leisure

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government: What was the underspend by the Northern Ireland Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure during 2004–05. [HL1175]

Lord Rooker: The Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure is currently estimating an underspend of 7 per cent, 71 per cent. of which relates to capital projects. The department's final budget position will not be available until the audit of its resource account is completed on 31 October 2005.

Northern Ireland Office: Media Announcements

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What media announcements were made by the Northern Ireland Office during the week beginning 13 June.

Lord Rooker: The following media announcements were made by the Northern Ireland Office via press releases issued to all media outlets in the week commencing 13 June 2005.
	Monday 13 June 2005
	"Reforming Criminal Justice and Building Confidence For all"—The Secretary of State, Peter Hain MP, the Attorney-General Lord Goldsmith and Alasdair Fraser launch the new Public Prosecution Service for Northern Ireland (PPS).
	Wednesday 15 June 2005
	"Banish criminal and paramilitary activity"—During NI Questions in the House of Commons, Secretary of State Peter Hain MP said that criminal and paramilitary activity must be banished from politics in Northern Ireland.
	Thursday 16 June 2005
	"New Appointments to Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission"—Monica McWilliams is appointed Chief Commissioner, along with seven new commissioners.
	Thursday 16 June 2005
	"Co-operation in Criminal Justice Applauded in Annual Report"—Criminal Justice Minister David Hanson launches this year's annual report of the Criminal Justice System Northern Ireland (CJSNI).
	Saturday 18 June 2005
	"Sean Kelly returned to Prison"—Sean Kelly is re-arrested and returned to Maghaber Prison.

Northern Ireland Police Ombudsman

Lord Maginnis of Drumglass: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answers by the Lord Rooker on 6 July (WA 106–107) and 13 July (WA 152), why the per capita cost of a criminal conviction arising from complaints investigated by the Office of the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland is over 250 times the equivalent cost of a criminal conviction by the Police Service of Northern Ireland; and whether it represents value for money.

Baroness Farrington of Ribbleton: The Police Ombudsman's budget is set at a level to allow the office to fulfil all of its legal obligations under Part II of the Police (Northern Ireland) Act 1998 and I refer the noble Lord to that Act. Part of those obligations is the determination of complaints from the public about the conduct of police officers, only a small number of which end in prosecution by the Director of Public Prosecutions and subsequently conviction by the courts. There is no direct correlation between the Police Ombudsman's budget and the cost of convictions.
	Value for money can only be determined when compared to similar organisations; a fair comparison would be with the predecessor of the Police Ombudsman, i.e. the combined functions of the RUC Complaints and Discipline Department and the Independent Commission for Police Complaints. In his 1997 report, A police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland, Dr Maurice Hayes placed their combined operating cost at about £6,850,000. Given the range and scope of work of the ombudsman's office, which is fully independent of government and police and as it is eight years since the report was completed, its current budget of £7,100,000 (cash) would seem to represent value for money.

Northern Ireland: Children in Care

Lord Maginnis of Drumglass: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How they fulfil their duty of care towards children resident in children's homes if they do not collect centrally information relating to contraception and pregnancy terminations; whether they will collect such information in future; and, if so, who will be given responsibility for implementing and monitoring the necessary changes.

Baroness Farrington of Ribbleton: All young people, whether they are in care or not, can visit a general practitioner or a family planning clinic in total confidence and receive contraceptive advice or treatment provided that they meet the criteria outlined by Lords Fraser and Scarman in 1995—"the Fraser guidelines".
	The Abortion Act 1967 does not extend to Northern Ireland, and abortion may be carried out only when necessary to save the life of the mother, or where continuance of the pregnancy would involve risk of serious injury to her physical or mental health. As children who meet the Fraser guidelines are under no obligation to inform anyone of their treatment, it is likely that any information collected would be incomplete.
	In addition to children's rights under the Children (NI) Order 1995, the provisions of the Human Rights Act 1998 and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child mean that the department could not collect this information without children's consent, and have no plans to do so in the future.

Northern Ireland: Election Complaints

Lord Hylton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many formal complaints they have received about the 2005 elections in Northern Ireland; what breaches of electoral law or other malpractices were alleged; whether there were any complaints concerning dummy ballot papers, campaigning on polling day or the behaviour of party agents; and what remedial action, if any, they propose to take.

Baroness Farrington of Ribbleton: The Chief Electoral Officer for Northern Ireland (Mr D A Stanley) has written to the noble Lord as follows: "The Electoral Office received 34 formal complaints from electors in respect of the Parliamentary General Election and the District Council Elections both held on 5 May. None of these related to dummy ballot papers or campaigning on polling day. Two related to the behaviour of party agents and one of these was made by a Candidate. In addition, one party complained about what they believed to have been attempts to interfere with absent votes by two other parties. These latter cases were referred to the police and are currently still under investigation".

Northern Ireland: Equality Commission

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Under which country's legislation the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland operates.

Lord Rooker: The Equality Commission for Northern Ireland is governed both by UK-wide legislation and Northern Ireland-only legislation.

Northern Ireland: Festivals

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	On what basis the Department of Social Development in Northern Ireland allocates funding to festivals and community celebrations; how much has been allocated in each year since 2000; to whom such funds have been allocated; and for what purpose.

Baroness Farrington of Ribbleton: The Department for Social Development (DSD) has provided timebounded funding to several community festivals in the past, to support community cohesion and to promote towns and cities. It was DSD's intention to provide seed funding so that once festivals had become established further assistance would not be required. The department is still providing funding to a number of festivals on a transitional basis, until permanent government policy on festival funding has been established. In 2005–06 transitional arrangements will continue for those festivals funded on that basis in 2004–05, and DSD will consider applications for funding up to 2004–05 levels.
	The following table sets out how much the Department for Social Development has allocated to festival and community celebrations in each year since 2000; to whom such funds have been allocated; and for what purpose.
	
		
			 Year Name of Organisation Amount £ Purpose of Funding Funded by 
			 2000–01 Greater Shankill Community Festival 5,000.00 2000 Cultural Weekend BRO 
			  Greater New Lodge Festival 5,000.00 Festival BRO 
			  Bawnmore Festival 4,000.00 Festival BRO 
			  Gasyard Feile 3,400.00 Contribution towards August Festival–publicity and outdoor events NWDO 
			  Feile an Chregain 15,000.00 Contribution towards August Festival–publicity and outdoor costs NWDO 
			  Derry City Council–Festivals and Special Events 50,000.00 Contribution towards overall cost of completion of Millennium Programme including Walled City Festival of Running NWDO 
			 2001–02 Feile An Phobail 10,000.00 Feile August 2001 BRO 
			  Greater New Lodge Festival 7,492.00 Festival BRO 
			  Feile an Chregain 12,000.00 August Festival–publicity and outdoor events NWDO 
			  Golden Link Galliagh 5,000.00 Advertising, promotion, printing and equipment hire NWDO 
			  Two Cathedrals 5,000.00 Funding provided towards total festival NWDO 
			  Shell Foyle Cup 2001 2,900.00 Purchase of trophies and medals NWDO 
			  Derry City Council–Festivals and Special Events 2001–02 25,000.00 Contribution towards overall cost of Walled City Festival NWDO 
			 2002–03 Coiste Na Feile 2,771.10 Community Festival BRO 
			  Springmadden Festival Committee 375.00 Summer Scheme BRO 
			  Feile An Phobail 20,000.00 Feile 2002 BRO 
			  Feile An Phobail 26,200.00 Administrator's salary BRO 
			  Feile-An Phobail 9,526.20 Salaries, marketing, publication costs and materials VCU 
			  Greater Shankill Community Festival 35,009.90 Festival 2002 BRO 
			  Ardoyne Fleadh 10,000.00 Fleadh BRO 
			  Greater New Lodge Festival 13,400.00 Festival BRO 
			  Mount Vernon Community Festival 1,298.00 Festival BRO 
			  Maiden City 21,000.00 Full-time development worker's post NWDO 
			  Golden Link Galliagh 2,000.00 Carnival day Entertainment costs NWDO 
			  Shell Foyle Cup 2002 9,000.00 Purchase of trophies/medals NWDO 
			  Derry City Council–Festivals and Special Events 2002–03 22,600.00 Contribution towards overall costs of the Walled City Festival, the Halloween Carnival, the Christmas switch-on and the St. Patrick's Day Carnival NWDO 
			 2003–04 Feile An Phobail 105,160.15 Feile August 2003 project costs and salaries BRO 
			  Feile An Phobail 59,284.93 Salaries, marketing publication costs and materials VCU 
			  Ardoyne Fleadh 57,394.65 Fleadh BRO 
			  Greater New Lodge Festival 29,160.00 Festival BRO 
			  Maiden City 15,000.00 Printing Costs for promotional material NWDO 
			  Golden Link Galliagh 5,000.00 Contribution towards staging, sound, lighting and generator costs NWDO 
			  Shell Foyle Cup 2003 10,000.00 Purchase of trophies/medials NWDO 
			 2004–05 Feile An Phobail 102,720.95 West Belfast Festival/Feile 2004–project costs and salaries BRO 
			  Feile An Phobail 63,453.87 Salaries, marketing, publication costs and materials VCU 
			  Ardoyne Fleadh 60,080.00 Fleadh BRO 
			  Greater New Lodge Festival 29,160.00 Festival BRO 
			  Maiden City 35,000.00 Contribution towards marketing, insurance and postage costs NWDO 
			  Golden Link Galliagh 5,000.00 Contribution towards staging, sound, lighting and generator costs NWDO 
			  Shell Foyle Cup 2004 9,000.00 Purchase of trophies/medals NWDO 
			  Derry City Council–Festivals and Special Events 2004–05 28,900.00 Contribution towards marketing costs associated with Halloween and Spring Carnivals NWDO 
			  Foyle Film Festival 5,000.00 Contribution towards programme costs NWDO 
		
	
	BRO—Belfast Regeneration Office
	NWDO—Northwest Development Office
	VCU—Voluntary and Community Unit

Northern Ireland: Festivals

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether in 2004 or 2005 the Northern Ireland Department for Culture, Arts and Leisure has followed a policy of selecting for funding those festivals which had received funding in the past.

Baroness Farrington of Ribbleton: In 2003, Ministers responded at short notice to requests for emergency financial assistance from five festivals that were facing a shortfall in funding as a result of the expiry of support from both government and commercial sources. Departments had to find moneys from existing budgets to partially fund this shortfall.
	The recipients of capped shortfall funding were Belfast Festival at Queen's, Feile an Phobail, Maiden City Festival, Greater New Lodge Community Festival and Ardoyne Fleadh.
	Capped shortfall funding in 2004 was provided only to those festivals that successfully made a case to Ministers in 2003, and has only continued pending agreement on new arrangements for funding community festivals. The total amount of shortfall funding provided in 2004 was £374,000: it is estimated that festivals in Northern Ireland access over £2 million a year from a range of public sector funding sources.
	In 2004 and 2005, organisers wishing to apply for additional assistance have had to provide detailed business information justifying the need and rationale for funding and the anticipated outputs and benefits.
	The applications for 2005 and the amounts of funding that will be provided are still being considered.

Northern Ireland: Fouling of Footpaths by Dogs

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	For each year since 2000, how many people have been prosecuted in Northern Ireland for allowing their dogs to foul public footpaths.

Baroness Farrington of Ribbleton: The Department of the Environment does not hold information on the number of prosecutions for dog fouling in Northern Ireland.

Northern Ireland: Housing Stock

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What plans they have to improve the quality and quantity of their housing stock in Ballywater, Ballyhalbert and Portavogie in County Down.

Lord Rooker: The information requested is as follows:
	Ballywalter
	There are 137 Housing Executive and 20 Housing Association dwellings in Ballywalter. The Housing Executive has identified a need for an additional 10 units and Housing Associations are trying to identify a suitable site with a view to having a scheme included in the development programme for 2008–09. A multi element and environmental improvement scheme for seven Housing Executive bungalows in the Well Road/Well Close area is planned to commence in March 2006. Bathrooms in the Corinthian Housing Association Stump Road scheme are due to be refurbished in 2006.
	Ballyhalbert
	There are 12 Housing Executive dwellings in Ballyhalbert. The Housing Executive has identified a need for five additional properties and a scheme has been programmed for Rural Housing Association in 2006–07.
	Portavogie
	There are 85 Housing Executive dwellings in Portavogie. The Housing Executive has assessed that there is no real housing need in this area as allocations are generally sufficient to meet need. A multi-element and environmental improvement scheme for 30 bungalows in Greyabbey, Kircubbin, Portavogie, and Cloughey is planned to commence in February 2006.
	An external cyclical maintenance scheme for 260 homes in Ballyhalbert, Ballywalter, Portavogie and Cloughey was completed at the end of 2004. A kitchen replacement scheme for 37 homes in Portavogie, Cloughey and Ballywalter was completed in May 2005.
	Private Sector Dwellings
	For those properties in the private sector (owner-occupiers, landlords and tenants) a range of grants is available to help with the costs of undertaking improvement work. With regard to the provision of private sector housing, this is undertaken by private developers where demand exists for such housing.

Northern Ireland: Murders

Lord Maginnis of Drumglass: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many murders in Northern Ireland in each year since 1998 have been linked to organised crime, including those carried out by paramilitary organisations.

Baroness Farrington of Ribbleton: There are no verified figures available for murders linked to organised crime. A search of records has shown an approximate number of murders linked to organised crimes from 1998 as follows:
	
		
			 Year Approximate number of murders linked to organised crime 
			 1998 8 
			 1999 4 
			 2000 8 
			 2001 20 
			 2002 11 
			 2003 12 
			 2004  
			 2005 4

Northern Ireland: Newspaper Funding

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Rooker on 6 July (HL 668), what newspapers they have funded in Northern Ireland; for what purpose; and what conditions, if any, were attached to such funding.

Lord Rooker: I refer the noble Lord to HL508 in respect of funding for the Andersonstown News Group.
	In addition please find below a table of funding made available to other newspapers for the period 1999 to 2004.
	
		Grants made available to newspaper companies 1999 to 2004
		
			 Year(s) Company Funder Purpose of Grant Amount 
			 1999–2000 Flagship Media Group Ltd LEDU Marketing and technical appraisal, product and process costs £11,273 
			 1999–2000 Fermanagh Talking Newspaper Associations Fermanagh Partnership To enable a part-time IT facilitator/tutor with special skills to train £2,225 
			 2000–01 The Mirror Group Department for Employment and Learning Assistance for disabled employee £5,936 
			 2003–04 Shankill Community Media Ltd Invest NI Employment and management salary costs £28,602 
			 2002–03 2003–04 Shankill Community Media Department for Social Development Salary costs £32,544 
			 2003–04 Shankill Community Media Ltd Department of Finance and Personnel Assistance for expansion of circulation £95,429 
			 2003–04 East Belfast Publishing Ltd Department of Finance and Personnel Production and distribution costs of weekly newspaper £250,464 
		
	
	In respect of the last part of the Question there is no central databank of the conditions, each being individual to the scheme or programme.

Northern Ireland: Noise Complaints

Lord Maginnis of Drumglass: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Why the constituency of Fermanagh and South Tyrone, despite having the lowest level of noise complaints in Northern Ireland, has the highest level of "notices served".
	 Question number missing in Hansard, possibly truncated question.

Baroness Farrington of Ribbleton: This information is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Northern Ireland: Police Ombudsman

Lord Maginnis of Drumglass: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answers by the Lord President on 7 April (WA 136), how many of the 128 staff in the Office of the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland are directly engaged in police investigation; and which body has oversight of their conduct and performance.

Baroness Farrington of Ribbleton: The Police Ombudsman's office advises that 90 staff are directly engaged in investigations. Oversight of conduct and performance of the staff of that office is a matter for the ombudsman who is totally independent of government. Complaints about maladministration can be referred to my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland but only after the matter has been referred to the ombudsman and the ombudsman's response has been unsatisfactory.

Northern Ireland: Register of Electors

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	With regard to the register of electors in Northern Ireland—
	(a) how many electors are on the register more than once with the same national insurance number;
	(b) what rule permits electors to register more than once;
	(c) how many people who are registered more than once with the same national insurance number voted more than once at the recent general and council elections; and
	What steps they are taking to investigate possible criminal offences concerning duplicate entries in the Northern Ireland register of electors and duplicate voting.

Lord Rooker: The Chief Electoral Officer for Northern Ireland (Mr D A Stanley) has written to the noble Lord.
	A copy of the letter has been placed in the Library.

Northern Ireland: Wrong Limb Amputations

Lord Brightman: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Warner on 7 July (WA 117), whether, in collecting information at national level of instances of wrong limb amputations, the last five years will be covered.

Baroness Farrington of Ribbleton: The department is accountable to my honourable friend the Minister of State with responsibility for Culture, Arts and Leisure who in turn is accountable to my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. Both are accountable to Parliament.
	In common with all Northern Ireland departments, the annual resource accounts of the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure are subject to scrutiny and certification by the Comptroller and Auditor General for Northern Ireland.

Nuclear Fusion

Viscount Montgomery of Alamein: asked Her Majesty's Government
	What proposals they have to encourage and support the development of nuclear fusion as an efficient source of power generation

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: The Government are fully supportive of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), a €4.5 billion fusion project to be sited in Cadarache, France involving the EU, China, Japan, Russia, South Korea and the US. In 2004, The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) also awarded £48 million over four years to the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) to underpin UK involvement in the Joint European Torus at Culham, Oxfordshire, the development of the Mega-Amp Spherical Tokamak (MAST), the UK's own fusion device, and research on the materials needed for a fusion power station.

Olympic Games 2012

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What plans they propose to ensure that Northern Ireland receives its share of the benefits of the London Olympic Games in 2012.

Lord Rooker: The Government are delighted that London won its bid to host the 2012 Olympics. Northern Ireland has been supportive of this bid from the very start, recognising the potential benefits for triggering involvement in sports infrastructure, improving health, inspiring our young people, boosting tourism and hosting preparation camps for participating nations.
	A regional steering group has been in place to steer support for the bid. Now that we know the outcome of the IOC vote, it will be considering our strategy for the coming years to ensure the potential benefits can be fully supported. My honourable friend the Minister of State for Northern Ireland (David Hanson) will be taking the lead on the work of the committee.

Palace of Westminster: Cleaners

Lord Hoyle: asked the Chairman of Committees:
	Further to his Written Answer on 19 July (WA 231), whether he will initiate talks with Mitie Cleaning in relation to the pay and conditions of their staff; and whether he will make representations that their pay and conditions be brought more in to line with those enjoyed by household staff employed directly by the House of Lords.

Lord Brabazon of Tara: The pay and conditions of cleaning staff employed by Mitie Cleaning are a matter for that company and its employees. None the less, the House authorities are very willing to discuss with the management of Mitie ways in which the services within the contract can be delivered while improving the pay and conditions of staff.

PayPal and eBay

Lord Hanningfield: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether Ministers or officials of the Department of Trade and Industry have met an employee or representative of PayPal (Europe) Ltd, PayPal Incorporated or eBay Incorporated in an official capacity since 2003; and, if so, what subjects were discussed.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: Information detailing every visit with those companies is not readily available. From the records that have been found, I can say that Ministers have attended meetings of a broad nature, but I am unaware of any meetings held specifically with PayPal or eBay.

PayPal and eBay

Lord Hanningfield: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the Department of Trade and Industry has (a) provided any financial assistance or other support to or (b) placed any contracts or other work with PayPal (Europe) Ltd, PayPal Incorporated or eBay Incorporated since 2002.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: We are not aware of any financial assistance or other support to PayPal or eBay.

Pension Protection Fund

Lord Taylor of Warwick: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Why the Pension Protection Fund applies only to final salary style pensions and not to all company pension schemes.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The Pension Protection Fund (PPF) applies only to defined benefit, or final salary, pension schemes and to the defined benefit elements of hybrid pension schemes.
	The reason for this is that the PPF has been designed to protect the pensions promise made by employers who sponsor defined benefit schemes. In a defined benefit scheme, the pension benefits promised to members are calculated independently of the contributions payable and are not directly related to the investments of the scheme. For this reason a defined benefit scheme can become underfunded, meaning that the scheme's assets are not sufficient to meet the full liabilities of the benefits promised. Where an employer becomes insolvent and is therefore no longer able to sponsor a defined benefit scheme, and the scheme is underfunded to a level where it cannot afford to pay benefits at the PPF level, the PPF will provide the members of that scheme with a level of security in retirement by paying compensation.
	Defined contribution, or money purchase, occupational pension schemes differ from defined benefit schemes in that the levels of each member's benefits are determined by direct reference to the contributions paid into the scheme in respect of the member. There is no pensions promise with defined contribution pension schemes and no issue of underfunding. It is therefore not necessary or appropriate for such schemes to be eligible for the PPF.
	From 1 September 2005 the board of the PPF will also take over the functions of the existing Pensions Compensation Board which was established by the Pensions Act 1995 to pay compensation to trust-based occupational pension schemes where assets have been lost through acts of dishonesty and the employer is insolvent. The board will hold and manage a fund known as the Fraud Compensation Fund and will provide fraud compensation to defined contribution as well as defined benefit schemes.

Pension Protection Fund

Lord Taylor of Warwick: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is the total estimated cost to companies of the Pension Protection Fund.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The Regulatory Impact Assessment which was published in June 2004 to accompany the Pensions Bill (now the Pensions Act 2004) estimates the cost to business of the Pension Protection Fund (PPF) levies as £300 million per year.
	The Pensions Act 2004 requires the Board of the Pension Protection Fund (the board) to produce an estimate each year of the amount it intends to raise through the PPF levies.
	The board is currently consulting on its proposals for the risk-based levy for 2006–07. It will be undertaking modelling work over the summer to determine its levy estimate for 2006–07. This estimate will take various factors into account including changes in interest rates and mortality. It is not appropriate for the department to attempt to predict the outcome of the board's consultation and levy estimate.
	The board commits itself, via the consultation document published on the 12 July, to a four-week consultation period on its levy estimate.

Pension Protection Fund

Lord Taylor of Warwick: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Why they propose a risk-based levy to finance the Pension Protection Fund.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: Section 175 of the Pensions Act 2004 (the Act) provides that the Board of the Pension Protection Fund (PPF) must impose pension protection levies in respect of all eligible schemes. The levies are to be made up of a risk-based levy and a scheme-based levy and Section 177 of the Act requires at least 80 per cent. of the total amount raised must be raised by risk-based levy.
	The risk-based levy is designed to reduce cross-subsidy between schemes and promote fairness. This approach means that schemes that pose a higher risk pay more for the PPF compensation cover, and costs are kept down for employers with well funded schemes.
	The risk based levy is also one of the measures designed to protect the PPF from moral hazard. This is the risk that because the PPF exists to compensate scheme members if their employer has become insolvent and the scheme is under-funded, employers will deliberately manipulate their affairs so as to shift their deficits into the PPF. By charging companies with higher levels of under-funding a higher levy, companies will be encouraged not to under-fund their schemes.

Police Service of Northern Ireland

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether any agreement has existed between the Police Service of Northern Ireland's East Belfast District Command Unit and any other party regarding the deployment of police or military personnel in the Short Strand.

Baroness Farrington of Ribbleton: The district commander retains full operational control over the deployment of resources in all parts of the DCU. He will take account of the views and needs of all residents in the DCU, and deploys resources in a manner that seeks to provide an effective police service throughout East Belfast.

Police Service of Northern Ireland

Lord Maginnis of Drumglass: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answers by the Lord Rooker on 30 June (WA 50) and 6 July (WA 106), how they justify an allocation of per capita funding for the Office of the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland to "police" the Police Service of Northern Ireland which is 82 per cent. greater than that allocated to the Police Service of Northern Ireland to "police" the general public.

Baroness Farrington of Ribbleton: In the answer by my noble friend, the Minister of State for Northern Ireland (Lord Rooker) on 6 July , Official Report col. WA106, my noble friend stated, "The Police Ombudsman's annual budget is set at a level to allow the Police Ombudsman to fulfil her legal obligations under Part VII of the Police (Northern Ireland) Act 1998 and is not based on numbers of serving officers within the Police Service for Northern Ireland." That is still the case.
	In his 1997 report, A Police Ombudsman. for Northern Ireland, Dr Maurice Hayes placed the combined cost of operating the RUC Complaints and Discipline Department and the Independent Commission for Police Complaints at about £6,850,000. This did not include costs for additional staff, such as CID and other officers used in conducting criminal investigations arising from complaints, nor the cost of ancillary police services, including; legal advice, use of police officers for court duty, conveying sensitive material, and statistical and research work. Given the range and scope of work of the ombudsman's office and the eight years since the report was completed, the current figure of £7,100,000 is fully justified.

Public Finance Statistics

Lord Taylor of Warwick: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will establish an independent national statistical service to take responsibility from HM Treasury for judging when the Government have met their fiscal rules.

Lord McKenzie of Luton: Public finance statistics used to assess the performance of the fiscal rules are produced by the independent Office for National Statistics. Budget 2005 projections show that the Government will meet the golden rule in the current cycle. The Government will give their next assessment of progress against the fiscal rules in the 2005 Pre-Budget Report.
	As the Chancellor confirmed to the Treasury Committee on 19 July, the NAO will audit the end date of the previous economic cycle and give us its view as to whether our judgment is reasonable and cautious.

Railways: Level Crossings

Lord Lucas: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is their estimate of the total cost of repairing equipment and track that was damaged by accidents and incidents at level crossings in the last reported year; and what is their estimate of the associated cost of traffic delays, pollution and train personnel absence.

Lord Davies of Oldham: The information requested is not available.

Railways: Level Crossings

Lord Lucas: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they have considered issuing guidance or instruction similar to that given to motorists in other European countries when waiting at level crossings .

Lord Davies of Oldham: Level crossings on public roads in the UK are similar in general appearance to those elsewhere in Europe. Traffic signs are generally in accordance with the Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals.
	The Highway Code gives advice to drivers and other road users using level crossings. In addition to the standard warning signs other signs are sometimes placed at crossings for example, advising drivers to switch off engines or wait for a second train to pass.
	So far as the effect of engines being left running while waiting at level crossings is concerned, it 'is certainly the case that emissions can often be prevented by turning off the engine if a vehicle is stationary for more than two minutes. Publications issued by the department already advise drivers to switch off their engines whenever it is safe to do so.

Regional Development Agencies

Lord Taylor of Warwick: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How they propose to measure the success of regional development agencies in helping small and medium-sized businesses.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: As required by the RDA Tasking Framework (http://www.dti.gov.uk/rda/info/Tasking–Framework.htm), England's regional development agencies (RDAs) are required to deliver certain outputs which will gauge the effectiveness of their support for small and medium-sized businesses. These include the number of businesses created and demonstrating growth after 12 months, businesses attracted to the region or assisted to improve their performance.
	Since April 2005, the RDAs have had responsibility for the regional management of Business Links and are required to report on Business Link performance against targets defined by the Business Link national performance management framework. These targets currently include penetration of business base, customer satisfaction and companies receiving intensive assistance. The RDAs are also responsible for delivery of the grant for research and development, one of the DTI's business support solutions.

Rights of Way

Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many rights of way disputes are waiting to be resolved by public Inquiry.

Lord Bach: There are 89 rights of way cases pending resolution by public inquiry with a planning inspector in the Planning Inspectorate acting on behalf of the Secretary of State. Fifty three of the cases already have an agreed inquiry date and 36 cases are still waiting for a date to be agreed.

Rights of Way

Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How long is the average waiting time before inquiries into rights of way disputes are heard.

Lord Bach: The average number of days between the case being ready and the public inquiry date is 201 days. The waiting time depends on planning inspector availability and the local highway authority making a suitable venue available to hold the inquiry.

Rights of Way

Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is the maximum waiting time for inquiries into rights of way disputes; and what are the government targets for such waiting times.

Lord Bach: For cases dealt with in the last two years, the maximum period between the case being ready and the public inquiry date was 650 days and the minimum was 49 days. The Planning Inspectorate has a target of arranging 80 per cent. of public inquiry cases within 39 weeks of the case being ready.

Royal Air Force: 32 Squadron

Lord Astor of Hever: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What plans they have for up-dating the aircraft operated by 32 Squadron of the Royal Air Force; and how the capital costs, including consequential carrying charges and depreciation, of any new aircraft will be apportioned between the Ministry of Defence and the users of these aircraft.

Lord Drayson: There are currently no plans to upgrade the capability of the fleet used by No 32 (The Royal) Squadron.

Royal Mail: Independent Review

Lord Taylor of Warwick: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	When the independent review of the future of the Royal Mail is to be launched; and
	What issues the independent review of the Royal Mail has been asked to consider.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: As set out in their manifesto, the Government are committed to reviewing the impact of market liberalisation on Royal Mail. Details of the review will be announced at some point.

Royal Mail: Pension Deficit

Lord Taylor of Warwick: asked Her Majesty's Government
	What is the amount of the pension deficit of the Royal Mail.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: According to Royal Mail's annual report and accounts—2004–05, which can be viewed on its website (http://www.royalmailgroup.com/) the pension deficit of the company is £3.9 billion.

Royal Navy: Counter-narcotics Operations

Lord Astor of Hever: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What standing naval commitments in the Caribbean and the North Atlantic are to be routinely tasked with counter-narcotics operations from November 2005 to May 2006.

Lord Drayson: The Atlantic Patrol Task (North) (APT(N)—a destroyer or, frigate) and a Wave Class Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) tanker provide a presence and support for the UK Overseas Territories in the region principally during the hurricane season. We have recently made clear that, in future, a destroyer or frigate will be tasked routinely to the region only during the higher-risk hurricane months (July to October), while the RFA Tanker will remain on station for the duration of the hurricane season (May to October). While on station these vessels contribute to the UK's counter narcotics effort in the Caribbean. Additional support to counter narcotics effort is provided by other Royal Navy assets on an opportunity basis.

Sellafield

Lord Judd: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they are satisfied with the management of the Sellafield nuclear plant and thermal oxide reprocessing plant in terms of safety, security and overall effectiveness; and what steps they are taking to ensure good management of these facilities in these contexts for the longer term.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: Following the incident at the thermal oxide reprocessing plant (Thorp) in April, British Nuclear Group set up a board of inquiry to investigate. British Nuclear Group has now published the report from the board of inquiry. The report highlights some issues to be addressed.
	The Nuclear Installations Inspectorate (NII) is also conducting its own investigation and will report in due course. The Government will form a view in light of the report. All nuclear facilities, including those at Sellafield, operate within agreed and documented safety cases. These are rigorously regulated and approved by the NII.

SEUPB: Religious Balance of Staff

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is the religious balance of the staff of the European Special Funds Implementation Body.

Baroness Farrington of Ribbleton: The community background of the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB) staff, as at l May 2005, is shown in the table.
	
		
			 Location Protestant Roman Catholic Non-Determined Total 
			 Belfast andOmagh 6 22 4 32 
		
	
	The figures supplied for the composition of community background are for staff located within the Belfast and Omagh offices for which monitoring data are legally obliged to be held under fair employment legislation. No monitoring information is held for staff located within the Monaghan office.

Ulster Scots Agency

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether additional funding will be provided to the Ulster Scots Agency to allow it to continue its agreed policies for the rest of the year.

Lord Rooker: I have nothing further to add to my Answer of 30 June 2005, Official Report col. WA50.

Ulster Scots Agency

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Rooker on 15 June (WA 129), whether the Ulster Scots Agency's budget is sufficient to enable it to meet the objectives and targets laid out in its corporate and annual business plans; and why the agency has cut back on several policy areas for the second successive year.

Baroness Farrington of Ribbleton: The budget allocated to the Ulster-Scots Agency for 2005 is considered sufficient to enable. it to meet the objectives and targets laid out in its approved corporate and annual business plans. The agency recently introduced a moratorium on new applications I am told to ensure that it did not exceed its approved annual budget,a requirement of financial probity which is shared by all publicly funded bodies. An application for additional inyear year funding has been received from the agency and is currently being considered by the two sponsoring departments.

Ulster Scots Agency

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Rooker on 15 June (WA 129), on what date and in what form the Ulster Scots Agency indicated its agreement with the proposed budget for 2005. [HL
	 Question number missing in Hansard, possibly truncated question.

Lord Rooker: The budget for the Ulster Scots Agency is determined in accordance with normal budgeting procedures on the basis of its business plan as set out in the North South Language Body financial memorandum. This includes consultation between the Ulster Scots Agency and its sponsor departments and with the finance departments north and south. Ministers agreed the 2005 budget on 31 March 2005.

Union of Democratic Miners: Compensation Scheme

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will place in the Library of the House all correspondence relating to the Department of Trade and Industry's contracts and agreements with the Union of Democratic Miners in relation to the compensation scheme for miners.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: A copy of the claims handling agreements with the claimants' solicitors (CHA) is available in the House of Commons Library. Separate CHAs exist for the UDM where the only significant difference is in relation to costs, which are lower in the UDM agreements.
	The CHAs are extensive and detailed and there have been many meetings and substantial volumes of correspondence on the operation of the agreements over the past five-plus years since they were agreed.

United Kingdom Coastline

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Who is responsible for the United Kingdom's coastline; and whether they have any plans to change this responsibility.

Lord Bach: There is a wide range of government departments and agencies, as well as local authorities and other bodies that have varying levels of jurisdiction over different aspects of the regulation and management of coastal areas.
	The Crown Estate generally owns the seabed out to the 12 mile territorial limit. It also owns around 55 per cent. of the foreshore (between mean high and mean low water), with the remainder in both public and private hands. Land adjacent to the foreshore is in the full range of public and private ownership as for any other part of the United Kingdom.

University Air Squadrons

Lord Garden: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they plan to change the current arrangements for University Air Squadron activities; and, if so, what changes are envisaged.

Lord Drayson: A review of University Air Squadrons (UAS) was conducted to look at the way in which essential light aircraft flying, including elementary flying training, air experience flying and flying for undergraduates, is delivered. An announcement is expected shortly and I will write to advise the noble Lord of the outcome.

US Gulf War Veterans

Lord Morris of Manchester: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What information they have on the study the United States Institute of Medicine is currently undertaking for the United States Department of Veteran Affairs into the health of Gulf War veterans; whether the Ministry of Defence is contributing in any way to the study; and whether they will help British veterans and/or their organisations to participate.[MoD]

Lord Drayson: The Ministry for Defence is aware that the Institute of Medicine (IOM) is currently conducting a number of projects on 'Gulf War and Health' sponsored by the US Department of Veterans Affairs. Full information, on the projects is available on the IOM website www.iom.edu.
	We understand that the projects take the form of literature reviews of scientific and medical research. MOD is not contributing to the reviews, but members of the public are able to attend open meetings of the IOM committees and can provide feedback via the IOM website.

Waterways Ireland

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	When the investigation into complaints of bullying and harassment by 20 employees at Waterways Ireland will be concluded; who is carrying out the investigation or mediation; who appointed them; and on what basis.

Lord Rooker: I am advised by the chief executive of Waterways Ireland as follows:
	(i) The independent facilitator is endeavouring to obtain a fair, equitable resolution of the perceived problems which is acceptable to all the parties concerned and he is unable, at this stage, to specify a timescale or limit to complete the process;
	(ii) all of the parties involved have agreed to an independent process, and agreed that the details of this process shall remain entirely confidential;
	(iii) the appointment of an independent facilitator for this process was made by Waterways Ireland with the agreement of all parties; and
	(iv) the basis of the appointment is to assist the parties to arrive at a mutually satisfactory resolution of the issues.

Waterways Ireland

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many promotions have been made in Waterways Ireland since 2000 without open competition; and, if any have been made, for what reasons and under what circumstances.

Lord Rooker: Out of the 235 employees designated and transferred to Waterways Ireland under the legislation setting up the body, 14 staff were promoted on transfer without open competition as follows:
	Three regional managers. These promotions were in line with an agreement drawn up between the employees' trade union and their former department prior to their designation and transfer.
	Two engineering posts. These promotions were made as part of completion of an agreement between the Public Service Union and the staff's former government department prior to designation and transfer.
	Two posts (engineer and technician). These promotions were made in line with the practice in place for staff prior to their designation and transfer to the body and in accordance with their existing terms and conditions.
	Five posts (industrial) in accordance with procedures agreed for industrial staff prior to their designation and transfer to the body.
	Two posts: (management): director of marketing and communications and head of marketing administration. These were both appointed by the CEO of Waterways Ireland.

Waterways Ireland

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answers by the Lord Rooker on 21 June (WA 164) and 12 July (WA 143), on the basis of what qualification the Chief Executive of Waterways Ireland considered the appointee for the position of director of marketing and communications to be the most appropriate, given there was no open competition.

Baroness Farrington of Ribbleton: I understand from the Chief Executive at Waterways Ireland that the criteria required for appointment at this level are that the person must have a minimum of 10 years' experience, including at least five years at a senior level in administrative management. The current Director of Marketing and Communications meets these criteria. The post of Director of Marketing and Communications does not require specific academic qualifications.

Waterways Ireland

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What guidance the Waterways Ireland bullying and harassment policy provides in cases where the allegations are made against the most senior members of the administration.

Baroness Farrington of Ribbleton: The Waterways Ireland policy on bullying and harassment provides guidance on procedures in most circumstances. If allegations are made against any person who would normally be involved in carrying out or overseeing an investigation, arrangements will be made for an alternative individual (including an external party, if necessary) to carry out such an investigation in accordance with the said policy.

Waterways Ireland

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether Waterways Ireland will set up an independent review of its policy on bullying and harassment; and whether training courses have been held on that policy.

Baroness Farrington of Ribbleton: Waterways Ireland is setting up an independent review of its policy on bullying and harassment. Training courses have been held on bullying and harassment.

Zimbabwe

Lord Morris of Manchester: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Triesman on 14 July (WA 162) on Operation Marambatsvina in Zimbabwe, what the policy of "silent diplomacy" has so far achieved; and what international action they would support to achieve unrestricted access to Zimbabwe for the International Red Cross and United Nations relief agencies to assist those affected by the operation.

Lord Triesman: The Government do not have a policy of "silent diplomacy" on Zimbabwe. Our policy of concerted international pressure, through the European Union, the Commonwealth, the United Nations and with our other international partners has helped to maintain support for internal political and economic reform in Zimbabwe and to isolate the Mugabe regime.
	On 18 July, my right honourable friend the Foreign Secretary discussed Zimbabwe at the General Affairs and External Relations Council. European Foreign Ministers condemned Operation Marambatsvina and called for unfettered and unconditional access by international relief agencies to those in need. The statement is available on the IU Presidency's website at www.ea2005.gov.uk. We and our international partners await the report of the UN Special Envoy, Anna Tibaijuka, before considering any further international response.